So long ICU

I have completely forgotten to blog during this last week, which has seemed like a blur to me. Since I last wrote, Liam has had both chest tubes removed. On Friday, they took out the right and immediately, I held him. For the majority of the day, we just rocked and stared and cooed. It was great.

Over the weekend, his left chest tube slowed quite a bit. Alex came up Friday night after work and when Liam woke up and saw him, he immediately began to smile and then proceed to jabber. I think Alex was given a talking to for leaving! It was unbelievably adorable. He had a good weekend, although the oxygen went off and on all weekend.

On Monday morning, they decided it was time to take the left tube out because it wasn't producing any fluid. This was also after twice during the middle of the night part of the tubing came off and air got into his lungs. So while we were hoping it would stay in just to be sure, it was nice not to worry about the actual tube moving around on us again. However, since this came out, fluid has built up on that side. In the meantime, they are changing his direutics from mouth to IV which seems to be stronger method of getting fluid out.

Since his first dose last night of the IV direutics, the xray did look clearer. We will continue with the IV type until his lung looks dry again and then go back to the oral medicine. I think we will end up coming home with a few medications to treat this over time. Pleural effusions take time to go away but we are at the point where it looks done, as long as we continue to use medicine. Thats exactly what we want.

We were also stepped down yesterday from ICU to the CCU, cardiac care unit. I am a little apprehensive about this but its because it was nice having 1 on 1 nursing and all the attendings became our extended family. If we had a concern, they came right over. In CCU, its for kids who are stable while they wait for a heart transplant or more surgery or those who are waiting to be sent home. Nurses have 3-4 patients and its more of a I need to go grab one to get help. Its good to know they think he is stable enough to be here but at the same time, I don't feel completely comfortable.

Yesterday, he was having some breathing issues because of the fluid and a resident was paged at 5:30. He got there at 7:30. That is a long time to watch your son struggle to breathe. Liam still is having some trouble but doesn't need oxygen. Its just the fluid in his left lung is making his chest\tummy deflate some. He is comfortable otherwise and clinically looks good, but my head goes back to the nightmare we had before where we kept saying his breathing was ok when it looked like this and less than 20 hours later, we were back in ICU and then on a breathing tube. I already warned the resident that I may seem like a bitch but I was not allowing the same situation to happen again. Lucky resident, huh?

So while I am trying to be happy we are in a new unit that brings us closer to home, I am keeping a hawk eye on Liam's chest as he breathes. The other good news is that he is allowed to wear clothes again. He is just about 10 lbs, 4 oz now and the 3 month size fits well. Its nice to see him use some of these adorable clothes he has been given! We rocked the frogie outfit yesterday, today will be a cute blue striped one my parents brought down over the weekend. Little man is spoiled..but he deserves it!