Another Tough Day

Today is another not so good day. We've had 2 in a row now so I am ready for a really good day tomorrow.

There was a glimmer of a chance that Ella would be extubated (taken off the ventilator) but her chest x ray and performance with the sprint made the doctors decide otherwise. They aren't even going to do another sprint today... the lack of progress with her lungs is so wearing... We keep praying for God to just POP! make her lungs work.

The doctors are now hoping to put her on an anticlogging medication so that the clots will start to dissipate from her neck. Her swelling has gone up again... 😔 it was weird because we walked in and saw her face and knew instantly that her face is bigger. The nurse agreed with us. They are worried that will make the brain bleed get worse, but it's been stable for a week and so the neurologist thinks it should be ok.

Ella's legs are getting so thin, like I've mentioned before, and I can tell the doctors are really getting nervous about it. They've given her the most nutrition they can through the IV but she needs more. This is when I get really upset that she got cylothorax. It is hard for me to see God's reason for this to happen. It seems like everything else is starting to fall apart because of the condition she's in due to the poor nutrition. The doctors and surgeons have told us that her lung function is low partially due to her lack of strength because she isn't getting fed. Her bleeds and incisions are not healing as quickly because of the poor nutrition...

I was just told they are going to have to out another chest tube in to relieve her body of excess fluid... it's frustrating because now we are for sure going backwards.

The stress level in her room is much higher today. Everytime the doctors have come in they have a new piece of unfortunate information...

Please pray...
-the clots go away quickly with only a little of the medication needed.
- Ella's fluid around her lungs gets out and that she won't need so much support from the ventilator so she can get off of it.
-That Ella won't need to get a tracheotomy.
-That Ella's white blood counts continue to go down.
-pray they can get correct blood draws from the new line they put it. It's not really working and she's been poked so many times already...
-Pray that Ella gains strength. I don't know how much more she can take...

-Jillian