Morning Report

Elaine's heart beat had a few more episodes of irregularity overnight. Each time they were able to bring it back to normal. The cardiologist is starting to discuss the possibility of a permanent internal pacemaker. With the ECMO out, she has been upgraded to NOT being the most critical patient on the floor. Yeah!!!

She is tolerating the new nutritional formula better. This is great news because she really needs those calories to help her body heal. They have stopped the IV pain medication and is starting to give it to her with her feedings. This medication will last longer and it is another step in the right direction. We no longer have to dress in gowns and wear gloves whenever we are in her room.

She was moving her feet spontaneously this morning. She moves her arms less but she has a lot of tubes in and out of them. What we really need for her to do is to lift her head off of the pillow. When she can do that, they can take the ventilator out. She has really low settings now but, she needs to be able to move her head before the vent can come out. Once it's out, she will need to prove she can swallow on her own and take a deep breath in order for it to stay out.

She is still on the continuous dialysis. They are hoping that if her heart rate stabilizes then they can start to remove some of the fluid that is building up in her tissues. Before she can leave SICU she will need to be upgraded to intermittent dialysis.

She has been laying flat on her back for almost two weeks. In that time she has already lost 20% of her strength. She will need some rehab to not only build strength in her heart but also build strength in her entire body.

She drifts in and out of sleep. We let her sleep most of the time so her body can rest and heal. It is so fun to interact with her. If we ask the right question she responds by nodding/shaking her head. The other night, the nurse could tell she needed something so they played the guessing game. The nurse eventually asked if she wanted her husband and Elaine nodded yes.

We are taking it a day at a time. Words cannot express our appreciation for your love and concern. Thank you.