So Benjamin is intubated, sedated and undergoing chemo. He's being fed a combination of breast milk and formula through a feeding tube at a rate of 25 ml/hr. The lumps on his head and behind his eyes have disappeared. The puffiness (from liquid retention) is all gone, and he's back to his normal weight. Two of the 6 IV lines he had have been pulled. He's now down to the double port central line (remember the one that was removed on June 22nd - they had to re-insert a new one!) for chemo and a double port in his groin area. On paper everything sounds great. But go back and read the 5th word of this post. I could easily have replaced that word with "simultaneously fighting sedation with all his might and developing an addiction to the drugs being used to sedate him", but that would have made for a run-on sentence. However, it is a much more accurate picture of what's going on.
When Benjamin was intubated, his windpipe was so swollen that all they could fit was a size 3 tube. This is the 2nd smallest tube available, both in diameter and in length. In fact it is so small that it is usually only used on preemies. Now we all know that Benjamin is slightly larger than your average preemie. Because of that, he's had to be kept as quiet as possible so as to not dislodge or pull out this very fragile lifeline. In the 11 days that he's been intubated, the ICU nurses have had the unenviable job of keeping him quiet but not paralysed, a delicate balance. And as Benjamin's developed tolerances to the drugs given, this job has become harder. So, because of this and other medical considerations (it seemed that the swelling wasn't going down as expected), the doctors decided it would be best for Benjamin to receive a tracheostomy. At least that way, he would be awake - but breathing through a hole in his throat.
Benjamin was put on the emergency list for the operating room on July 19th and we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, we received word that there was an opening around 8PM. So off goes Benjamin to the OR for the 5th time in his short life (the assistant anaesthetist has now seen Ben 3 times).
Meanwhile, I should explain leakage. Normally leaks are bad things (in your water pipes, tires, and inflatable pool toys). But when you are on a ventilator you want a leak to develop because that means that there is starting to be room in between the tube and the walls of the windpipe. We've been listening and watching for Benjamin to develop a leak since he was intubated, and there was never anything significant or permanent. But it's as if the little guy knows what we've planned for him. As soon as the doctors told us he needed the tracheostomy, Ben started to finally develop a leak.
So, at the end of the day, Benjamin did not get the tracheostomy. The doctor said that his windpipe was actually less swollen now than it was when he was admitted. They did do a bronchoscopy and a biopsy of the growth which is still protruding a little bit. They also put in a one size larger tube, which should be coming out in the next couple of days. The problem now is that our little fighter has to be slowly weaned from his sedation drugs otherwise he'll go into full withdrawal. I'm telling you - if it's not one thing then it's another.
When Benjamin was intubated, his windpipe was so swollen that all they could fit was a size 3 tube. This is the 2nd smallest tube available, both in diameter and in length. In fact it is so small that it is usually only used on preemies. Now we all know that Benjamin is slightly larger than your average preemie. Because of that, he's had to be kept as quiet as possible so as to not dislodge or pull out this very fragile lifeline. In the 11 days that he's been intubated, the ICU nurses have had the unenviable job of keeping him quiet but not paralysed, a delicate balance. And as Benjamin's developed tolerances to the drugs given, this job has become harder. So, because of this and other medical considerations (it seemed that the swelling wasn't going down as expected), the doctors decided it would be best for Benjamin to receive a tracheostomy. At least that way, he would be awake - but breathing through a hole in his throat.
Benjamin was put on the emergency list for the operating room on July 19th and we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, we received word that there was an opening around 8PM. So off goes Benjamin to the OR for the 5th time in his short life (the assistant anaesthetist has now seen Ben 3 times).
Meanwhile, I should explain leakage. Normally leaks are bad things (in your water pipes, tires, and inflatable pool toys). But when you are on a ventilator you want a leak to develop because that means that there is starting to be room in between the tube and the walls of the windpipe. We've been listening and watching for Benjamin to develop a leak since he was intubated, and there was never anything significant or permanent. But it's as if the little guy knows what we've planned for him. As soon as the doctors told us he needed the tracheostomy, Ben started to finally develop a leak.
So, at the end of the day, Benjamin did not get the tracheostomy. The doctor said that his windpipe was actually less swollen now than it was when he was admitted. They did do a bronchoscopy and a biopsy of the growth which is still protruding a little bit. They also put in a one size larger tube, which should be coming out in the next couple of days. The problem now is that our little fighter has to be slowly weaned from his sedation drugs otherwise he'll go into full withdrawal. I'm telling you - if it's not one thing then it's another.
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