OHS Day 3: First day of recovery

Today was an absolute whirlwind! We literally had things to do from the time I got there until the time I left this evening. I got to the hospital around 7:30 and Mitch let me know that it was a rough night for sleeping, but Scarlette did great with the extubation and that they were weaning down her oxygen levels. They took off her EKG leads, and the black sensors on her forehead that measured brain and kidney function, so there was a lot more of Scarlette to love on. She was napping so we didn't disturb her.

The doctors came by for rounds and let us know that she was to go to the Heart and Kidney Unit today instead of Sat/Sun like originally planned! This was exciting because it's one step closer to discharge, and because it meant that her arterial line, chest tube, and heart leads would be able to come out as well. After rounds we started her on some pedialyte to make sure her stomach could handle food and Mitch went home to get some sleep. Scarlette woke up and was fussing a little bit so we figured it was a good time to take out her arterial IV and one of her eart leads (that isn't what they are really called by the way, but I have no idea LOL). The chest tube and electrical heart leads would come out in HKU. The nurse gave her some morphine and they took out the lines. It ticked Scarlette off but she went right to sleep afterwards and slept for an hour or so. Then it was time to move her to HKU.

Our good friend Ashley came to visit us and bring us dinner for tonight (it was DELICIOUS!) and so she was able to help me move all of SJ's stuff over to the new room. Once there they immediately took out her chest tube and her electrical heart leads (thin blue wires that touch the heart directly so that in the event of heart failure can control the heart from the outside, crazy huh?) and one of her IV lines that they no longer needed. She is now down to JUST 2 IV's and her 5 leads that monitor heartrate, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate. Everything else is gone (yay!). All of this was not fun for Scarlette, nor was it fun to watch her in pain (albeit extremely interesting to see) but she settled right down afterwards to take another nap. Ashley and I visited for a while as Scarlette slept, but then she needed to get home and it was time to feed Scarlette again. She is tolerating her feeds very well, and has gone down from morphine to oxycodone.

The surgeon visited her this afternoon and gave us the best news of the day, that if she keeps recovering at this rate we may be able to go home as soon as SUNDAY afternoon! Amazing! A full FOUR days before she was expected to be able to go home. It's not for sure yet so keep praying for swift healing, God is definitely hearing everyone!

SJ is still pretty cranky when she's awake but she's actually getting less and less irritable as time goes on. She got really good sleep today and

I know that's essential for her to heal. I am hoping tomorrow she will be awake more and we will be able to play a little bit and sit her up more. I did get to hold her this evening but she did not seem to enjoy it very much so it was brief.

Mitch came around 7 and we ate dinner together and hopefully he will get a great night's sleep tonight!