I’m updating, updating, updating yooooouuu…

We’re judging Tiptoe’s progress by the output of fluid from her chest tube, and from how much she vomits. Yesterday, she vomited a lot, but had a (in comparison to the previous day’s tally) better day with the chest tube.

There is not much the docs, or us, can do about the output of chylothorax through the chest tube– either the thoracic duct is healing, or it isn’t. The doctors have given Tiptoe until Monday to show marked improvement in the output, before they switch her over to IV feeds (TPN– total parenteral nutrition). Moving to the IV will mean at least another two weeks in the hospital. It also means that they will have to put a PICC line into her arm, which will mean we won’t be able to hold her as comfortably as we have been.

Man. She just got all of her lines off of her! The nurse took out the last IV she had in her hand on Monday morning; she’s been off all the monitors since the 18th (except the oxygen saturation monitor in her foot). I could actually handle her without having to be preoccupied with a dozen different electrical wires. I’m not enamored of adding lines.

Because of her vomiting, Tiptoe has not gained any weight. That’s where the docs seem to be putting a lot of effort. On a slightly I-told-you-so note– M and I have been nudging the doctors on this vein for the past couple days. When Tiptoe threw up on one of the pediatric doctors, I guess THEN they decided to do something about it. Her feeds have been increased to 43 mL every four hours (from 40 mL / 3 hours). M said she had a good night last night, but was still vomiting a bit. She’s on pepcid to help with her vomiting, but since they bring her meds with her food…you get the picture. We’ve asked them to bring the meds before the food so as to make sure that the medicine is absorbed before she throws it all up.