Small, But Significant Improvements

Doctor said flu A kills healthy people.

Aaron isn't healthy.

I really didn't mean to leave people hanging, but, well, I just didn't.

He is doing better.

He has a LOOOOONG ways to go. 

Thursday, he finally stabilized on 100% FiO2, nitric oxide of 20ppm, ventilator support of 28 breaths per minute, pressure support of 15 and PEEP of 15. Normal for him is 14 breaths per minute, pressure of 11 and PEEP of 10, for most people it's pressure and PEEP of roughly 5. In addition, he was on three sedatives at fairly high amounts as well as pressors to keep his blood pressure up and no food. He has been laying on a cooling blanket to keep his temps down, and had three different antibiotics because we do not want to take the chance that a bacterial infection is also playing into things. 

He has two IV lines with multiple hubs, a PICC line, an arterial line, and a temp probe. 

And there's probably other things that I'm just forgetting. 

It's a LOT.

BUT today his vent support is at 65% FiO2, PS of 13 and PEEP of 13. We're turning down the sedatives and pressors. He's getting food and although it's slow, it's the full amount over 24 hours. His temp is (mostly) normal.

I have no idea how long we'll be here. We certainly won't be going home this weekend. 

But we should get home sometime. Wednesday night, I didn't know if that would happen. 

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.

Saint Augustine