Delayed Update...:)

I apologize again for any lag in updating. Life has been crazy as usual. My home nursing has had a few changes including some new nurses, some night coverage, and some uncovered days where Jer has to take a turn. Kiera came home Super Bowl Sunday, and is back to wearing us all out. We have a two week follow up with pulmo today and will change Kiera's new longer trach tube in his office since I am a little nervous about how changing this trach will differ from the last, if at all. We also see GI guy, so we'll get it all done at once. I took off from school for these appointments, although, frankly, after the day I had yesterday, I wouldn't have minded taking off without the excuse. I hope pulmo will make a few vent changes today and get us back on track for CPAP trials. Kiera has been making a lot of vocal sounds lately (mostly "Ahhhh" s). It's been sweet to hear.

Gotta go for now and start the packing process for the dr's office field trip. It will probably take an hour to an hour and a half to get me ready and get Kiera ready and all her supplies packed.

Kiera is chewing her way out of the hospital!

Well, we are officially getting discharged tomorrow. Yesterday, Kiera chewed through 3 suction ballards, her leads cable, the black lead, and her SAT monitor cable. She left the temp probe alone because she went through one of those on Thursday. She's also biting her nails since this last admission, incidentally. Can we say I have a stressed out little 3 year old who is done being sick?

So, I just finished cleaning the carpet in her play room (living room) where all the g-tube and feeding pump mishaps have routinely fed my carpeting. I cleaned it during her last admission, as well. It's actually a very convenient time since hospitalizations are the only block of time I have to enable the carpet to dry for 24 hours.

I have some new nurses starting this week since I lost one due to the hospitalization interferring with her paycheck, so I am excited to train new people. Plus, some of my great nurses who have been out with injuries the last few months, and well now and planning to start working for me again, so I will have some night coverage again. Kiera is also getting a new therapist this week who likes to use music and dance in her physical therapy, so I think she will have fun with that.

Other than that, it is a usual overbooked week. Restaurant business to run, Grades due, Kiera care, Mary Kay meeting, house to clean that has fallen apart, high schoolers to monitor, TAXES! Can't wait!

Bronchoscopy and Longer Trach Tube

Well, we had a lovely little look at Kiera's airway today and change her trach from her current 46 mm long one to her previous 60mm long trach (incidentally the trach she had before our Houston trip in 2007.) I have been a little twitchy about this change (much like Kiera's airway), but the tracheal collapse was quite clear on the bronch so the longer trach will help stint it open so to speak. It also bypasses Kiera's infamous* pig bronchus which may help in ventilation. I am not sure what this means for long term. We may get to finally go back to our cpap trials, although this may indicate a need for the trach longer term than just during ventilation. As always, we will wait and see. Kiera did seem much more comfortable tonight than she has been in a week and since we really haven't been off steroids for any significant amount of time since Thanksgiving, maybe we can finally accomplish that, too.

* That's "IN famous" for lovers of the movie "Three Amigos."