What a Day

I really need to stop trying to plan the day Avery is getting out of the hospital, especially when he is on the regular floor. Without fail, whenever he is on the regular floor on presumed discharged day he has a crisis and end up in the stepdown ICU unit (which is our home here). I have been soooo (*^^%*( frustrated here today because Avery has been vomitting dark green bile which turned to blood. He has become so junky b/c of all the vomitting that he probably aspirated and will ultimately end up with an pneumonia.

What I am so frustrated about it that he is literally across from the nurse's station and whenever he has vomitted he saturations (oxygen levels) have dropped into the 70s and he is blue and NOBODY runs in. Mind you his alarms are going off and it takes me yelling for someone to come in and help. It is not possible for me to hold his head up suction and put O2 on him so it would be great to have a nurse. Now I'm not blaming them b/c this is a very busy floor with intense pts. and each nurse as 3-4 pts. which in my book is crazy. Plus the hospital has a hiring freeze so they can't add more staff. Not to mention there flu is rampant in the hospital so it is super busy. Just not a good time to be inpt.

So here we sit. I am dissapointed b/c we were able to get his j feeds to 25cc p/h which is great but then all the vomitting we are back to square one. It means that the longer tube is deeper in his intestines and obviously causing some irritation and why he is vomitting. So now he will have to go back to the regular tube which means he back to tolerating minimal amounts and no hope of getting off TPN. I just want to cry. I feel like we cannot get ahead of the game or catch a break.

I am happy to be going to a floor that knows Avery very well. I just feel more comfortable there and confident in the care he will get. So it sounds like we will be here for a few more days :( :( At least I get to see my favorite nurse :)
Through all this Avery has been happy and even in between the vomits and feeling crappy he looks good and still smiling. He is such a trooper.