Last night, Kate's nurse was telling me about chest tubes. Sometimes kids need an extra one, or need one replaced. She said it is the only procedure in all of her years of nursing, that she can't stand to watch because it's 'violent.' They make an incision and have to put the tube between the ribs, cut through muscle and tissue, get tongs inside and stretch the incision open. We both shuddered and were glad that Kate had not needed a new one.
Until this morning.
Last night, one of her chest tubes came out too far and started taking in air. She now has a large air pocket in her left chest cavity. Yesterday she was moaning and pointing to her left chest--up near her shoulder. I told the nurse, but she seemed to think it was just pain from the chest tube itself. Now I think it was the air in her chest.
Poor baby. At noon, she will get the new chest tube. There had been hope that she would leave PICU today, but that has been put off until at least tomorrow.
Getting another chest x-ray to check on the air in her chest cavity
Overall, though, they are very encouraged by how well she is doing. Her chest tube fluid drainage has slowed a lot!! I know some of you are praying for that!! :) She is such a little trooper and lets them do whatever they need to do to her. She kinda falls apart a bit once she sees me, but I think it's just fine for her to complain to her Mama. If you can't complain to Mama, who CAN you complain to?! She doesn't do much except moan or fuss--no energy to have a full blown meltdown.
