Tag: DESAT

Monday, 31 Jan 2005 ( 7 am ):

Last night was another quiet and restful night – no problems with her trach tube and no DeSat’s. Yesterday was moving day for little Ella and although she traveled just a short distance, her (our) quality of life improved dramatically.

Her new room, which is the same two-bed room GG stayed in during her first visit to TAMC way back in August, is much quieter than the four-bed room. This morning Ella is scheduled to have a high-resolution scan of her kidneys.

This diagnostic procedure is one of several tests performed, following her urinary tract infection, to ensure her renal system is fully functional. Thus far, all indications are that everything is normal. Our search for a home healthcare nurse continues. Please feel free to offer any suggestions or to pass our contact information on to those who may be able to help.

God bless and thank you for your prayers.

Monday, 24 Jan 2005 ( 8 am ):

Overnight, Gabriella rested peacefully – with no blockages to her “trach” tube. Yesterday, she experienced a few stressful events but no major blockages or DESAT’s. Ella continues to eat well and she seems more comfortable each day. Today’s big event will be the changing of her “trach” tube. During that procedure Dr. Cable will use a small fiber-optic scope to view the portion of her airway below trach tube.

He will also see if the incision site (stoma) is healing properly. If so, Dr. Cable will probably transfer Ella from the Pediatrics ICU to the General Pediatrics Ward. We look forward to taking that step, as it brings us one step closer to home. Lastly, please remember to say a prayer TODAY for Captain Hausman, USMC and all those who are defending freedom around the world. God bless you and

thank you for your prayers.

Saturday, 22 Jan 2005 ( 7am ):

Gabriella rested well last night – without a single blocked “trach” tube. On three occasions yesterday, Ella’s “trach tube” became blocked and her oxygen levels dropped (Oxygen Desaturation or “DESAT”} for a short time. Blockages are cleared using suction. A thin flexible hollow tube is inserted into the blocked “trach tube,” the mucus blockage or “plug” is then sucked clear. As you probably imagine, Ella is not particularly fond of this procedure – even though it helps her to breathe more easily. Yesterday’s DESAT incidents clearly demonstrated the fragile nature of

Ella’s current condition. Since Ella is unable to protect her own airway by coughing and unable to signal for help by crying, we are dependent upon monitors to sound the alarm. That dependency is a point of concern for both Mum and Dad, especially as we begin to think about caring for Ella at home. Thankfully we still have a few days to sort through these issues. For those who have recently signed our Guest Book, thank you for your words of encouragement and support – they mean so very much to us. And as always,

thank you for your prayers.