PICU Princess

Looks like we'll be staying another night here in the PICU. Gracie's pain is better controlled, but she is still not eating much so we cannot change her medication yet. She is off all cardiac medications, and is now just receiving fluids (because her oral intake is so low), pain medication, and anxiety medication. This is another step in the right direction.


She is sleeping better now and taking naps, so we know that we are doing better with her pain management, but we have a long way to go to get her where she needs to be. We are waiting for her appetite to come back right now. She takes a few bites of food and sips of drinks, but she's not really taking anything in amounts enough to count. She is passing lots of gas, so we know that her tummy is trying to get moving, but there is really not much in there to move at the moment. Please pray that Gracie starts feeling hungry soon.


She is doing really well with toe wiggling and minor adjustments to her position. She can stretch her back and shoulders out on her own, however larger position changes cause her a lot of pain and therefore she is terrified of being shifted from side to side. This is necessary, of course, to prevent any kind of skin breakdown from prolonged pressure and decreased blood flow to an area. She doesn't care too much about that yet, just the idea of the pain of the impending movement causes her to panic. We hope to find a good balance soon for her pain control, but her best options will be available once she begins eating.


We're hoping to leave our beloved PICU tomorrow and go explore life on the regular hospital floor. We hear that the digs up there are pretty nice- with much larger rooms, big TVs,  and more fun stuff to do. We'll let you know when we get there. :)


Keep praying and much love to you all.