Saturday, May 30, 2009

Sleepy, itchy and a new NG tube

Ellie did very well last night and the epidural is working great.  She did so well that Gib was able to go home late last night. 

She did get a little restless around midnight and decided that she didn’t like having a tube up her nose.   

So she pulled it out.  

First she pulled off the protective hand sleeve that keeps her from grabbing things and then she grabbed hold and pulled the NG (naso gastric) tube out.  All in about 20 seconds.  So that bought her a new tube, and some valium.  She did a great job dealing with the new tube being put in and it is working even better at draining her stomach contents then the first one did.

The Valium helped her relax and get some real sleep.  After she pulled out the NG I got in bed with her.  It was not the most restful sleep for me. Since I was there to protect the 2nd NG, I woke up every time she moved.  We did put large socks over the protective cuffs over her hands to make it harder for her to get the tube.   But this doesn’t mean she doesn’t try every few minutes. 

 Luckily she only needs this tube for another day or two 'til her stomach wakes up and starts doing it's thing.

There is a narcotic in her epidural that makes her face itch.  We knew this was going to happen as it has happened every time she gets an epidural.  But the first round of meds was not strong enough and so around 1am we got a narcan drip.  This is the same med they used on her after her second surgery to reverse the morphine, when she was just over a 1 month old.  Back in the NICU, You don't know how Lucky you are.  Just in a much smaller amount dripped in over a long period of time.  

The combo of the two meds seems to have made her much more comfortable.  She has been alternating between watching Kipper, sleeping and asking about the restaurant here at the hospital.  She loves any and all restaurants and that includes the cafeteria here at the hospital.   

Sadly she will probably not be able to eat for a few more days as we wait for her intestines to wake up.

All in all she looks good and keeps telling us that she has no pain, which makes Gib and I very happy.  

Her goal for today is to sit up and breathe deeply.  This will help clear all the crud out of her lungs and stop her from getting pneumonia.   

My goal is to learn more about Jon and Kate plus 8 and how insane they really are.  

5 comments:

mbrogan said...

Thanks for the update- Her fan club has better days when we hear that she's looking for a restaurant!

Anonymous said...

we're following closely and are thrilled to read of the week's success. to celebrate, we should take her to a restaurant with live chickens and cats running around!

Anonymous said...

Uh, I wasn't prepared for that flashback link, but I'll recover. Here's to better living through pharmaceuticals and British puppy cartoons (Ask Kate sometime to run through an entire episode of Kipper sometime - from memory)!

K8 from CT said...

Thank you so much for this update (I get nervous when it's quiet) and am especially glad to hear how well things are going. I will take her to any restaurant she wants!! (And y'all can come too).

Stephany said...

I'm glad to hear you are down some tubes and that the itching has subsided some with the new meds. Good luck on your Jon and Kate adventure - i tell you it's crazy addictive!!!