Making Headway?

Rachael called my Mom around 9am and said Jimmie's bleeding is still significantly less, but that it hasn't stopped completely. However his Doctor is now SURE that it is not originating in his lungs because his lungs sound "crystal clear" this morning! They were going to have Rachael hold him for 2 hours and if his blood gasses were good after that they are going to extubate him.

This is AWESOME news, but it will also need to be covered in prayer. They are hoping the blood will take a safer track to his stomach after they extubate him. And now they are going to have to work something out that does not compromise his nose. They are talking about an oxygen hood of some sort or cutting the prongs off the nasal cannula.

This is scary because we do not want Jimmie aspirating blood again! Pray really hard that everything goes smoothly and they figure out how to help him breathe while keeping his nasal passages safe. And-of course- keep praying for the bleeding to completely stop!

They are hoping to extubate him because he is so stable and his lungs sound great, but also because just in case the ventilator and it's tubing may actually be irritating the spot that's bleeding and preventing total healing. Since the only thing they are positive about is that the bleed is not in his lungs- they are entertaining the possibility that it could be in the back of his throat/trachea as well. So pray that they are able to very safely and gently extubate him.

We are very encouraged this morning. Praise God!! But we are also very nervous!

Love,
Amber