I am so hoping today is the day my Sam gets extubated! Sam has been intubated for the past week. This means he has a breathing tube hooked to machine to help him breathe. He also has a feeding tube down his nose to help give him nutrients. If he does not have a feeding tube the digestion track can slow down and cause other organs to slow down as well. Then there can be other complications. The trick with the new pump is there all these body functions (liver, kidneys, etc.) they were not working at capacity because his heart could not pump the fluids needed for them to operate at full capacity. The hope is with the new LVAD heart pump it will increase the flow, however the body has to adjust to the increased flow. There are many factors to consider. Today they are going to try and extubate again. Extubation refers to the removal of a breathing tube. The purpose of this procedure is to remove the breathing tube from the patients airway so that they are able to breathe on their own. This can be a very slow process. There are so many factors to contend with. After hours of this process yesterday, they decided against it to try again today. Sam will have undergone a period of ‘weaning’ from the ventilator (breathing machine). Weaning means gradually reducing the amount of assistance the ventilator is providing, until it is determined Sam is able to breathe adequately for himself. This process can be rapid or slow. When the doctors feel Sam is ready they will decided to extubate the patient. Sam will be awake and hopefully cooperative and will remain on the all the other monitors. They will be sit him up (if able to) and the breathing tube and mouth will be suctioned to remove any secretions. The cuff on the breathing tube will be let down and the tube withdrawn. The hard part for me is watching him cough and gag. An oxygen mask will be applied to give extra oxygen and Sam will be closely monitored to identify any problems. Sam will continue to be monitored closely to ensure the process has been successful. They started the process with blood tests about 3:00 AM. The x-ray was about 4:45 AM. The bummer about that is I have to leave the room. Wake up time! I have not spoken with Sam for over a week. There are brief moments where he comes too and there is recognition. These moments are brief, yet treasured. I am so hoping today is the day my Sam gets extubated!
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:43:19 +0000
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