First off we are intubated and sedated to sleep until Monday.

Why is there such a problem with her lungs, being intubated so much, them brachiospasming? Anyone that saw Kyleigh before the surgery knows she breathed pretty fast and somewhat shallow. Before the surgery for her heart to properly profuse her body it had to run much faster. This kept the blood flow to her lungs much greater than normal and meant her lungs didn’t have to work nearly as hard to get the job done. Now, her heart is fixed so the blood flow is normal, but with the same lungs. That means we have to retrain her lungs to breath deeper and fill fully to get proper lung blood oxygen exchange. The last time she self extubated she had a respiratory rate less than 30 and you could see her breath thru her nose and fill her chest. Once she got into pain she slipped back into shallow breathing and her lungs “locked up” or brachiospasmed. Even on the bag her chest didn’t really move up and down. So, where does the stuff pumped into your lungs go if not exchanged to your blood? It empties into your cavity and then is reabsorbed by her intestines and gives her gas.

With me so far? So, the breathing machine not only helps her sleep and heal, but also helps to show her lungs how to operate now that she is repaired.

What are they doing for long term treatment? Right now she is Viagra which was first developed to help your lung vessels open up. This should help her pulmonary blood pressure decrease. Also anytime she gets a cold we will have to be really on top of that since her lungs will be susceptible for some time. She may need Albuterol treatments for colds and things of that nature.

In other news she has gotten the parent of Morphine now and a new sedation. She also has a muscle relaxer that is given on demand. She is treated very well now and comfortable. Extubation is still scheduled for Monday. Today she also received a blood transfusion since her blood counts were on the low side. Everything is being beefed up to run at full gate so that extubation will be a huge success this time around. She is getting IV food (not just fluids), her continuous feeds nonstop, and electrolytes.

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