Learning this trach thing
The days have been calmer, thank goodness. We are working on his drug wean again and working on reducing his respiratory settings. I asked that he be weaned from a peep of 13 to a peep of 12, and a respiratory rate went from 35-30. I noticed that when we weaned his rate to 30, that he started to trigger his own breaths while asleep. His PINSP looks good still-mid 20s and remains unchanged. I think if he keeps it up, we should attempt to wean to a peep of 11. Pulmonology would like for his oxygen requirements to be in the low 30s, which he is already over the place, regardless of his PEEP. I think his oxygen saturations are related to how his airway clearance is doing for the day. That is just how he traditionally has been. The challenge for Joey right now is going back to tolerating his feeds. He keeps vomiting and we are unsure as to why. Could it be due to his drug wean? Could it be that his anatomy has changed from trach surgery and he is tolerating less? Who knows. It has been a mystery.
He weaned off his verset drip a couple of days ago, and that was rough. However, he's no longer on that drug. Now he's receiving ativan and methidone (I think). The list is long. I have a whole new appreciation of why drug rehabilitation centers make so much money. It's really hard to get off of drugs, even for infants. Drug withdrawals are real.
Daniel and I attended our first two trach classes. I assisted our respiratory therapist with a trach change. I took the trach out, and helped to put on his trach ties. I prayed that I would have the courage and face the fear of the trach change. Although this time I assisted and did not do the full out trach change, it made me feel better that I could at least take the trach out. There are a lot of steps and preparation involved. My fear mostly is from taking Joey home and not being able to clear him out with all the secretions that he has. I won't have hit therapy to rely on if he struggles, but maybe we will have the bag to help with that, just in case. Last night, his night nurse said he dipped down in the 60s, suctioning didn't help, and she was ready to get his trach changed out. RT came by and did some hit to open up his lungs, and that seemed to help, and he bounced right back. It scares me to think that this could happen at home, and I won't quite know what to do, or do it fast enough. I guess that just comes with the territory of the unknown. I like to do a lot of planning, but Joey has taught me that I absolutely cannot plan with this him. My planning is trusting God to take the wheel. I'm just along for the ride, but I can plan to do the best that I can with my care for him!
He weaned off his verset drip a couple of days ago, and that was rough. However, he's no longer on that drug. Now he's receiving ativan and methidone (I think). The list is long. I have a whole new appreciation of why drug rehabilitation centers make so much money. It's really hard to get off of drugs, even for infants. Drug withdrawals are real.
Daniel and I attended our first two trach classes. I assisted our respiratory therapist with a trach change. I took the trach out, and helped to put on his trach ties. I prayed that I would have the courage and face the fear of the trach change. Although this time I assisted and did not do the full out trach change, it made me feel better that I could at least take the trach out. There are a lot of steps and preparation involved. My fear mostly is from taking Joey home and not being able to clear him out with all the secretions that he has. I won't have hit therapy to rely on if he struggles, but maybe we will have the bag to help with that, just in case. Last night, his night nurse said he dipped down in the 60s, suctioning didn't help, and she was ready to get his trach changed out. RT came by and did some hit to open up his lungs, and that seemed to help, and he bounced right back. It scares me to think that this could happen at home, and I won't quite know what to do, or do it fast enough. I guess that just comes with the territory of the unknown. I like to do a lot of planning, but Joey has taught me that I absolutely cannot plan with this him. My planning is trusting God to take the wheel. I'm just along for the ride, but I can plan to do the best that I can with my care for him!
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