Cora struggled, beginning in the early hours of the morning. When I called from home for an update, I could tell the mood was tense and it sounded like she'd kept the overnight staff running a bit. She was desaturating and was working hard to breathe. When I got there early this morning it was easy to see something was off.
They were still talking about possibly sending her home, but agreed to do an echo to make sure, even though her saturations weren't good, that she was otherwise stable. Well, the echo showed that she isn't doing as well as they had hoped. The pressures in the right side of her heart appear to be elevated, and she now has pulmonary hypertension, which in my understanding means that the pressure is very high in the vessels in her lungs. She also has an open hole in her heart, which we knew (two holes were already closed in her surgery back in November), but it appears now that she is shunting across that hole. In other words, oxygenated and unoxygenated blood is mixing through that hole, and that's giving her additional trouble.
These things all together make a fairly serious problem. Just how serious remains to be seen, but it will certainly mean more medications and possibly more future procedures. If the pulmonary hypertension worsens, it will be a very bad thing. More than anything it means that her trajectory is heading in the wrong direction.
All day, Cora was uncomfortable, fussy, desaturating, and unhappy. It took the nurse and I both trying to help her to keep her somewhat calm. I didn't get any of those good, happy Cora moments.
I just called for an update and as of tonight she is now requiring triple her normal amount of oxygen just to remain stable. I can feel us slipping on the slippery slope that leads back to the ICU and back to the more difficult times.
Maybe she will turn and show improvement in the next couple of days. I pray she does.
In the meantime we have the cath scheduled for Wednesday, and now we need that information more than ever.
It feels like a hard night to go to sleep, here with our two children who very much need mommy, but away from our one who is struggling. But yet I have to go to sleep so I can go to work and go see Cora and do the business of life.
I wish I could clone myself. I wish none of them ever had to do without me.
Blerg.
I'm praying for happier times.
Me, too, Michele; with all of my heart.
ReplyDeleteSending her needs back to my church prayer team. I am lifting Cora up in hang in there Mama.
ReplyDeleteSending our love and hugs xo
ReplyDeletePrayers for all of you!
ReplyDeletePrayers for the whole family but especially little miss Cora. Hang in there sweetheart as you have a wonderful family to join very soon.
ReplyDeleteYour story is so beautiful & you share the most precious parts of Cora & your family with all of us. Your heart is so full of love. I look for updates with hopes that you have good news to share with us. I pray each day for Cora that her body heals. I pray for her doctors & nurses & caregivers to have the wisdom that they need to continue to help her on this journey that she is fighting. I pray for you & your husband that you both can feel the support of the people around you when you can use it most. I pray for your littles at home who want their family together & are just so sweet. Your family is always in our thoughts & prayers. Hoping you have some answers soon so that sweet Cora can be having more of those good days very, very soon. Sending hugs.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for happier times for you, sweet Cora and your family as well!
ReplyDeleteXoxoxo
ReplyDelete