Still intubated

Peter is still intubated, disappointingly.  He has accumulated about 5000ml of fluid since surgery, despite conservative measures with his fluid intake, and he is puffy all over.  As such, it is not surprising that his lungs have a little fluid on them as well, which is why he is being kept intubated right now.  The doctors started him on a Dopamine drip to support the kidney's blood perfusion and gave him albumin and he is now on a Lasix drip. 

It is hard to see him lying sedated in the bed with the tubes and vent.  He has nine IV pumps going continually, a urine foley, a tube up his nose to drainage, his G-tube attached to a drainage tube, his ileostomy attached to drainage tube.  Some of this is his nighttime "usual:"  two to three drainage tubes, two to three IVs.  The sedation and the vent and his large size are what makes it hard to see him like this, as well as the addition of meds and pumps, instead of their removal.  The concern that this was too big of a surgery for him to handle plagues me.  I don't regret doing the surgery, and we still feel that it made sense to do this surgery now.  This surgery and its risks have been a conversation many times over the years, so the decision was not a hasty one, although the opportunity presented itself unexpectedly. 

I have been reassured by everyone who comes in that this is not unusual for such a big operation, even for a healthier child.  It is admittedly difficult to not look at him and have flashbacks to his ICU days back in 2006.  The priest came to visit him today and said some prayers over him and encouraged me to remember that Peter is not in that same situation and to not worry yet if the doctors have told me that things are still normal.  He told me that if Peter pulled through his illness back in 2006, to be hopeful that he will do it again, especially as he is healthier now than he was then. 

Please keep Peter in your prayers!  Thank you.