May 19, 2010

In The PICU




Carter is recovering tonight in the PICU.
Mommy and Daddy came home to get some rest. That was a LONG nine hours...on all accounts!
Carter is doing OK. They tried extubating him while he was still in the OR to try and send him to the regular recovery area. He had a hard time, so they ended up reintubating him. I really wish that they would have never attempted it, but they were giving him the chance to have a shorter stay in the hospital.
Seeing him afterward was REALLY hard for us. We haven't seen him intubated since the end of August, and that seems like a lifetime ago. I know that he's hurting a lot, and he was crying so hard but no noise was coming out because of the breathing tube. If you look at the top picture you can see the stitches on his upper eyelid, and the two bruises on his forehead which made him look even more in need of some lovin'. I could tell by his facial expressions that he just wanted to be snuggled by Momma, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't even hold his hand because there were IV's in both sides. They upped his pain medications and gave him some sedation, but when we had to leave (due to shift change) he was still pretty upset. All of these surgeries are painful on their own, and the thought of them all together gets a little overwhelming. We truly believe that doing them all together is still in the best interest of Carter.
We get a lot of questions asking when Carter gets to come home. This all depends on him. They discussed trying to extubate him tomorrow, but it will really depend on how swollen his airway is. On one hand I hope that they attempt it to get him home quicker, but on the other I know that the poor kid needs a break and needs time for that little body to heal. Thank you so much for all of the prayers and well wishes. We appreciate them more than you know!

11 comments:

ANewKindOfPerfect said...

I am so glad to hear that all went well and he is sedated and recovering tonite. I hope you get some well needed sleep tonite, although I know it will be hard. I hope his recovery goes well so you are all home together soon!

Becky said...

Oh, sweet little man. <3 I'm praying angels give him lots of comfort tonight.

Becky said...

PRAYING FOR YOU! I know he'll pull through. I hope they give his body time to heal too. Sometimes these kids just need a little more time - pushing them too hard can cause more harm than good. You are in our prayers!!!

Gretchen said...

I can't imagine how your heart must ache seeing him and not being able to hold him. We love you guys. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you guys and Carter.

Lacey said...

He actually looks better than I expected. Not to bruised. I hope they let him go at his own pace, you can't rush our little men!

Colleen said...

Sweet baby boy! What a long day for all of you. I hope the recovery process goes smoothly and he will be able to come home in no time.

Tina said...

I really hope the pictures look worse than what he is actually going through, poor little boy, he is so brave.

I pray that the recovery goes as smoothly as possible and little Carter is in the minimum of pain.

Phyllis said...

so glad it went well, 9 hours must have seemed like a lifetime. I can't quite imagine. I'm sure it is hard to see him back in the hospital with tubes and everything but obviously for the greater good. Not sure if his eye will get worse in appearance but I think it looks great!! This poor little guy has had more repairs than Heidi Montague!!!! lol way to go Carter, such a trooper!

Kelli said...

HUGS to all of you!

I'm sure it's so hard to see your lil' boy like that, especially since you can't hold him. I do have to say, he looks pretty good for what I expected! I'm sure he's really uncomfortable so we will send Carter some extra gentle hugs!

What a brave lil' boy you have!

amy jupin said...

sending many prayers your way today and hoping for carter's swift recovery!

Sherry C said...

Poor sweet baby boy, crying without sound that is tough to watch, I'm praying for the little guy. I'm sure you are doing the right thing he will be all the better for it and won't need to go through one procedure after another. I'm sending you HUGS to!!!