The PICU Is Like One Big Party

Well, not really.  I guess it is if your version of a party is sleeping almost all of the time, only to be awoken with annoying stuff being done to you from time to time.  Mom & Dad know the things they are doing are good for her, but Audrey is mostly annoyed by it.

So far the ICU has been good.  The doctors and nurses have all been wonderful, although we rarely have the same nurse twice.  They tell us Audrey is progressing normally.  She keeps getting tubes, sensors, & meds removed, which is good.  They have taken enough tubes and things off to allow us to hold her.  Julie got to do this for a little while yesterday, which was a blessing for all of us.  Audrey seemed to rest so deeply during this.  She did get restless after about an hour and a half, and needed to be repositioned, so she went back to the bed.  We hope to be able to do this more and more.

As far as Julie & me, at night we take turns staying in the room with her and sleeping in the family sleep room. This is a small room with a twin bed, TV, and bathroom - plenty for what we need at night.  During the day, we're here with her most of the time.  We'll sneak out and grab a quick bite if she's sleeping well. Julie's parents will come in and sit with her for longer periods, allowing us to get out of the hospital for a couple of hours each day.  Thank you, Jim & Sandy.

Audrey has had one thing come up, that they tell us is common.  She has secretions in the air sacs in her right lung which have caused a portion of it to collapse, so she has had a couple of respiratory therapy sessions to help correct this, along with "deep suctioning" of the lungs.

The first therapy was to roll her on her side and beat the snot out of her back & chest with a small oxygen mask.  It sounds and looks a lot worse than it actually is.  They pound away pretty quickly on each side for a while.  Audrey first had a shocked look on her face, but then fell asleep.  It really seemed like she was just getting a good massage.  The next thing was a mask over her nose & mouth that repeatedly shot bursts of air.  This was vibrating her lungs and breaking up the mucus inside, making it easy to suction out.  She didn't sleep through this one.

It looks like she'll be in the PICU at least one more night.  They want to make sure her lung is cleared up before moving her to a regular room.  

Thank you all again for your prayers and support.  We have felt them and appreciate the encouragement we have received from so many.