Harvesting Joy

Today J had his trach fitting changed for the first time, he did not like it. His incision is huge, about an inch or two higher than it should be, and there is some nasty skin breakdown around the site. I'm sure it hurts something fierce, worse than even watching the Vikes. He was extremely agitated by the change and some secretions were loosened so he needed to be bagged a couple times. His MRI didn't happen because his oxygen sats took a nose dive into the 30s and they called a code. They were able to remove some thick secretions by lavage and suction, and he has subsequently been doing well. Unfortunately, he now has a pneumothorax in addition to the effusion (air around the fluid around his lung), talk about deserving a break! Since his tracheostomy a week ago his right upper lobe lung has collapsed again (a familiar battle he's been waging). We've just finished up another transfusion, how many is that now? - 22 transfusions not including probably 50+ albumin and plasma units. If it's been a while since you've donated blood, perhaps you'd consider doing so. Tomorrow we will hopefully get another bronchoscopy to pull out some thick secretions that are blocking his upper right lobe, and we hope his new air pocket in his chest is reabsorbed, the effusions stop growing, his belly stops filling, his pain stops, he ventilates better, his trach infection subsides, his super high triglycerides go down, his fever doesn't come back, his skin breakdown and general condition everywhere improve, his feeds improve, his bowel activity improves, and his eye lesions heal...come on yahtzee! He's a champion hugger, he could do it.