PICU - Day 5 - Extubated!

Garrett is one week old today! His creatinine levels were down to 0.7 this morning -- so we're that much closer to the normal 0.2 to 0.5 range, indicating his kidneys are doing much better. During rounds, I talked to the neuro folks and was told Garrett wouldn't need to be on anti-seizure medication for the long-term. While he might be at increased risk for seizures, they believe there isn't any harm in eliminating the medication in children. He'll probably be on it until the vein of Galen malformation is resolved, but not forever, so that's good news too.

But best of all, Dr. Arteaga and I got our way and the breathing tube is out! They had to perform a bronchoscopy first to ensure the blood-tinged mucus he had in his lungs was due to a small scratch from the initial intubation versus some underlying problem. But that checked out and they removed the tube around 4:15.

Before that, though, Jean and Steve brought Jonathan to visit again. He enjoyed checking out the teddy bear and balloons Lake City Lumber sent to Garrett, hiding under a chair, and sipping from the big straw in Mom's cup.

And now that the tube is out, we don't need a nurse in here around the clock, so I can play my iTunes playlist of mellow music and sing along to Garrett without being self conscious.

They're going to keep him on breast milk through the feeding tube tonight, but I imagine I'll get to start nursing him again tomorrow. In the mean time, I've gotten to enjoy a few hours of holding him this evening.

Over the past few days, whenever I've been away from the public eye and thought about our limp little Garrett in the emergency room with everyone poking and prodding at him, and even intubating him, without any sedation or pain medication, it wouldn't take more than a second to feel a fresh burst of sobs erupting from what seems to be a bottomless pool of pain. Even though we're past that now, it'll be a while before the tangible despair and helplessness of those moments will fade.

That said, getting to hold him this evening and sing to him, I'm now fighting back a new swelling in my chest and tears of gratefulness. He looks so healthy and perfect now. We're not in the clear yet. In fact, when I asked Dr. O'Leary this morning how soon Garrett might get to go home, he said it's too early to tell (of course) and that we're really just on the front end of this thing.

But we're a long way from where we were Sunday, and considering we had to face a strong chance we'd lose our little guy, it just feels like such a blessing to get to cradle him in my arms and see him look comfortable and relaxed.

Just before extubation.

Right after extubation. He'll have a minimal amount of oxygen blown over his face tonight just to be on the safe side.

Garrett was pretty sleepy, but I think he enjoyed getting off the flat bed for a while and listening to Mom hum and sing -- even though I can't carry a tune.