obSTAkuls and Progress

Elle just looking too cute

Elle is doing very well last couple of days. She is handing out huge, gorgeous smiles; even her version of laughter! She loves her Peeps, as her grandpa says. She is breathing very well; O2 Saturation 98-100% all of the time now. I actually have her O2 facing the back of her neck right now to help her head and neck heal better (they are very raw).

The only problem right now is her G Tube. It is now clogged, we thought from the "super glue" GI used to seal the nick, but now we think it was from one of her meds that was poorly dissolved and wasn't thoroughly flushed :( It happens...so we tried the Clog Zapper (I know, it sounds very medical, right?) four times and pushed on the clog with the stilet, but it wouldn't budge either way. One of the nurses also let Coke sit in the tube for a day, with the hopes that the carbonation would help dissolve the clog, but that didn't work. Just don't tell Chloe because I'm sure she would be in sensed at the thought of her baby sister getting Coke when she can't have it yet. The tube will have to be replaced. It will be done under mild sedation in interventional radiology (IR) so it goes in properly and peritonitis can be avoided (infection from infusing feeds into peritoneum instead of tummy from misinsertion of new tube). She is currently on TPN (total parenteral nutrition) with lipids to give her nutrition including protein, electrolytes, vitamins, and fats. Her IV pole is starting to get heavy.
Her wounds are OK, she has had 2 days of Neupogen now, so her white blood cells will start to increase so they can be taken and stored in case she needs them but will also, as an added benefit, aid her wound healing. I am hoping so anyway.
Steve, Chloe, and I went to the Minnesota State Fair before he flew back to Sacramento. I miss him already.

Since he is going back and forth so often, he decided to just take his computer and GPS, keys, and wallet. I also needed for him to return a borrowed baby buggy. He left his clothes because he has plenty at home. Well he was wearing this shirt when I dropped him off at the airport:














Needless to say, airport security have him a heck of a time. He had a backpack with only a computer and a GPS, no clothes, a buggy with no baby, and a shirt that says I'M PROBABLY LYING. He said they scanned the buggy 6 times, his computer several times, asked him why he was wearing the shirt and why he had no clothes for the trip. He explained our situation and told them to call U of M. Finally, just when he thought they would perform a cavity search, they let him go. Whew! Lesson learned.


Chloe is doing very well, she bandages her patients when I bandage mine, she gives her horse medicine through his very own double lumen Hickman catheter when Elle receives her IV medicines.