Still Taking Steps Forward

C did well last night even if she did not get that much sleep. Poor baby is so gunky in her chest, throat and nose from being on the ventilator and she is having a hard time clearing it out. The nurse has had to suction her nose and throat several times and she hates it. I don't blame her one bit, I would hate it too. It just looks awful. Even worse, the first two times she stopped breathing as if she had gunk caught in her throat. Very scary. Her lips turned purple and her sats very dropping. She finally cleared it and was fine but still horrid to watch.

She was able to start eating again last night and so far she is doing pretty good. She is taking more than she usually does but still not up to what she should be taking. We are taking it easy on her right now because she does still have lots of stuff going on.

C is continuing on an upswing but it seems to me that it is much slower this time. Maybe I am just not remembering the last surgery very accurately but she seemed to be more her normal self at this point last time. I guess I am just worrying too much (and impatient to get her home!) and she will continue to make slow progress. Progess, even slow, is so much better than the alternative and I will learn to have more patience.

Everything seems to be pretty good so far. The only issue she is having is that her pulmonary pressure and blood pressure are still on the high side. She will be getting her normal blood pressure med and she will be getting Viagra now as well. I know if sounds weird but Viagra was originally used to help people like C who need some help with relaxing all the vessels and stuff in the lungs. Yesterday the cardiologist was talking to me about it and she did not think C would need to be on it permanetly but we will see.

C has been taking a nap this morning and resting so I am hopeful that means she will start feeling better too because right now she just seems so miserable. I can hardly stand watching her look so darn miserable.

Thank you all so much for all of your prayers. I know that they have really made a difference. I was very scared two nights ago that Carolena just may not pull through as she was struggling so hard. I can only thank all of you and of course God for seeing that C really wants to be here with us for awhile longer. I can honestly say I have never been more scared since this journey with C began. I am very humbled to know so many are following C's journey and are touched enough with her and her story to keep praying for her. She is truely amazing and I wish everyone could see how beautiful, sweet, happy, playful, smiley and engaging she is.