SURPRISE!!

Ruthie is now tube/ vent FREE and so very happy about it!!


Yesterday morning around 9 am, the tube left and the smiles appeared. Within a few minutes of being extubated, Ruthie was smiling and laughing.

Medically speaking…..

Ruthie’s cath Thursday afternoon went as planned. No changes, nothing to repair. She recovered nicely over night.

Friday mid morning, Ruth’s NP swab (from a week prior) came back positive for rhino- virus (the common cold). They put her on isolation and that’s about all you can do for a “cold”.

Saturday morning, Dr. Gatiz seemed to believe that the cold is what triggered her heart to go further into failure. This means that she wasn’t randomly getting worse or going into acute decompansating heart failure. Her catching a cold is not good, by any means. However at the same time, it is nice to hear that she may get better after the virus clears.

Sunday morning, Dr. Gatiz was ready to pull the tube! He felt that she was just working against the vent. Her cough had gotten better and she was able to clear the tube (meaning her coughs were more productive).

Currently, Ruthie is still tube/vent free! She is also fever free. Her heart rate, however, has remained rather high. She is staying in the mid 160s to the 190s. Her prior baseline was 130s-160s. She is not working any harder. Her lactase look normal and her respiratory status is stable. She is on a .5L of o2 through nasal cannula. Her art line was removed this morning since she is no longer on the vent they do not need a constant blood pressure reading. Less lines, less infections! She still has not slept very well since extubation. She is coming down off the dex and she is a little tweaked out. She was super happy yesterday, but very jittery. It was like someone spiked her TPN with Mountain Dew. I am not going to lie, it was rather funny because she was so pleased with the world.

However, today is a different story. Since she has been up for almost 36 hours straight (minus a cat nap here or there), she is starting to get a little cranky. She is tired, but fights sleep. We are working on weaning her off the constant dex with oral drug twice a day. I hope we are able to get her heart rate down and control her nap/ sleeping times again. She is not really upset, she is just tired and a tired baby is an irritable baby.



We are here. We are still standing.

So things are really starting to look up. Ruthie is getting stronger and now VENT FREE! (I don’t think I can say it enough! I smile each time! VENT FREE!). We are so grateful for each day.
Thank you God for giving Ruth a feisty, strong- willed attitude. She is so happy and so strong. I am so proud of her ability to smile even though things are rough.
Thank you God for being her strength.
Thank you Lord for being our hope and our source of peace. We trust in You and we believe that You have a plan. It is not for us to know His plans, just to trust and believe that He will provide.

We are always thinking about our heart babies near and far. We pray that each family finds peace in their situation. We pray for your strength and for your willingness to fight. We are so thankful for having you in our lives to share these triumphs and trails. We are so blessed.

Thank you family and friends. You always know what to say and how to protect us and provide aide. We are so lucky to have you as our cheerleaders and our crutches. This is not an easy task that you take on by being in our lives. Yet, you time and time again show your compassion and understanding. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you to the staff of SLCH! YOU ARE AMAZING! You do your job with such pride and care. Not only has Ruthie inherited a second family, but we have as well. You care just as much about Ruthie’s medical care as you do her about her and our families’ well being. You will never know how many times you have pieces us back together in those dark hours. Thank you Lord for placing Ruth is such capable hands.

I posted a new poem on the side bar. My sister sent it to me last night and I think it really gives peace to this whole "waiting" experience.

In His Time