This is Life Deal With It

Who doesn't like getting new stuff.  Me too - usually.  The new piece of equipment that arrived yesterday - a suctioning machine - not so thrilled.  We put it off for as long as possible and will use it, for Shannie, only - only when ab-so-lute-ly necessary.  That being said, it'll be a good piece of equipment and really help her out and that's all the detail I'm gonna say because - gross.

Years ago one of the girls we provided foster care for had a tracheotomy.  Of all the medical issues we deal with ones involving the "M" word - mucus - are the most difficult for me.  I have a strong gag reflex sometimes just thinking about it.  Handling that trach was quite the challenge for me.  Christian's trach, thankfully, was removed long before he arrived here.  Shannie just needs a little help when she has a serious coughing spell - that's manageable.

I was determined from a very young age to be a nurse, or maybe even a doctor until.  One day when I was a Candy Striper in my cute pink and white striped jumper - those were the days - I had to hold the plastic dish for a guy coughing and spitting.  I just about lost it there and then.  I walked out of that room and thought - nope - not for me.  I laugh about it now thinking about all the medically gross stuff we've dealt with since I was fourteen - if I'd had any idea I might have pushed through and gotten a medical degree from a reputable institution, but no, just the college of - This is Life Deal With It  - for me.

Once we had Shannie in a local hospital for pneumonia and she needed to be fed.  Mark gets the G-tube out and the nurse's eyes bugged out.  From her reaction it appeared she'd never actually used a G-tube.  This didn't really provide the confidence in that particular hospital's ability to handle our girl and we were ever so grateful when they transferred her to the hospital where we were generally admitted.   I think they were happy to see us go as well.  This is just about as much nursing as I want to handle.  With every new piece of equipment or medical issue I learn and adjust - sometimes not very cooperatively, but what must be done must be done.

One last thing - for some reason they didn't send the tip attachment that would actually go into her mouth, so online we went looking for one.  A package of 5 - $1.06 each - great deal.  Put it in my basket - the total was $139. 04!  Whaaaaaaat?  Yup that was shipping and handling - are you kidding me?  We tried to circumvent the whole rigamarole of a doctor's order etc. etc. and just paid for the machine ourselves - $147 total, by the way.  Now Mark will have to spend a morning on the phone getting a doctor's order for our medical supply company so we can get the little attachment.  Is it any wonder people dealing with medical issues are overwhelmed, not to mention broke?  But, as I said, this is life - so deal with it we will.

Pretty good night

Good morning - it was a pretty decent night for Shannie. She spent some time on each side and is tolerating it well. Her oxygen levels kept dropping, so they put a mask by her with O2 and that did the trick. She hates coughing even when she's well, so they've had to suction her some which isn't too fun.

They just removed her aerterial line and will be moving her out of PICU and onto the regular kids floor. That will be very nice, although it's been very comfortable here as well. The PICU is brand new - she was the first patient when they opened the new PICU at the U about 6 yrs. back. This is a habit that really needs to be broken ;-) Everyone is always so thrilled with their new digs and we're trying to be gracious "guests".

so far so good

At first sight Shannie looked pretty rough. Her face is pretty torn up from the tape and was also quite swollen from laying on her stomach all that time. We saw her incision which is from her neck to the base of her spine, but amazingly looks pretty clean.

I had to laugh, incredulously, when the surgeon's assistant - called a fellow - said something like she looks pretty good. For real? I think it might have been one of those things you say and then hit yourself on the head later, but for crying out loud think first man.

Shannie is doing incredibly well right now. She has pain, but it seems to be well contolled and the nurses are right on top of it.

Mark went home to be with the rest of the kids and will be back tomorrow for a 24 hr. stint. He had spent all day yesterday here as well, so was anxious to go home I think.

Thanks for all the prayers - we surely appreciate them.