Friday, August 8, 2008

Gracie Time

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple days, things are fine--I've just been preoccupied with several things and haven't had much time or energy to really devote to blogging.
Grace is doing well, at least as well as she can be doing right now. The last few days the doctors have decided that the best thing to do is not change much in how they are caring for Grace and just let her rest. The main objective is to heal her chest wound and get more fluid off of her. If they have learned anything, it's that they must be willing to follow 'Gracie time."
"All this healing makes me so sleepy."

She is waving her hands around in this one--I love that she is so alert!

Her chest wound looks better and better every day. The wound vac was removed on Wednesday and replace with these special gel-like bandages to encourage healing without causing the edges to be too moist in the process. The idea behind them is to help draw out the dead tissue faster without having to scrap away at it. This approached worked well but today while evaluating the wound, it was decided to put the wound vac back because the edges of the wound were redder than they would like. A couple days ago they sent a tissue sample out for cultures and it came back with a staff infection, but luckily they have already been treating for it.
Yesterday, the blood test that they use to show how well her kidneys are handling all the diuretics she is on came back really high, so they stopped all diuretics. As a result, the last few days she has been fluid positive (retaining too much fluid and becoming more puffy) but today they started one of the diuretics again and it is doing its job--the last time we spoke to the nurse she was only positive 12!
The Attending came in and spoke to us yesterday and reiterated the goals she had for Grace. Hopefully she will achieve these goals and be skinner (lose her puffiness) and have her wound improve enough to be able to begin thinking of coming off the vent.
Though the slowness is overwhelming at times, we are really pleased where Gracie is and hope she doesn't have any major setbacks. This child deserves to have things go well after all she has gone through!! The hardest thing is knowing that I won't be able to spend as much time with my baby as I have been blessed and privileged to do the last month (thanks family) because life must go one, I must work and get back to some type of regularity for Morgan.
Speaking of Morgan--she has been a champ this entire time. Though she loves spending time with Grandma and the rest of the family, it has been hard for her that Jason and I have not been around as much. I can't wait until she can spend more time with Gracie---I know when she can she will bond with her and won't stop asking about her. Now I'm afraid she doesn't really understand that Gracie is our baby--so we made her a little poster of various pictures of Grace and of Morgan and Grace to hang over her bed so that she can see Grace every day and recognize her (we did this with Jason's brother Chris who is on a mission and it worked great).
Hopefully Gracie will be able to come home soon and I can have my girls together at last and we can enjoy being together!!!

3 comments:

Megan said...

I also hope that Grace can come home soon. I love your idea of a poster for Morgan to look at to help her recognize Grace. I'm glad she is doing well. Keep smiling!

Em said...

Gracie is so sweet. We just love her and can not wait for her to come home. I am sorry that you have to go back to work, just know that anytime you want to drop of Morgan or have us come tend, we are happy to do it. You guys are doing great, and handling everything amazingly.
Hugs and prayers and love,
Mike and Em

Wendy Wilcox said...

I am so happy that Grace is doing better. She is a beautiful baby. Since you will be spending more time in Provo, is there anything the Relief Society can do to help you. We are willing to help you in anyway.

Love, Wendy Wilcox