Day 13: See Ya Later, Oscillator!

Vivienne was a real rockstar today. She handled all of her weans and took some major steps forward, the biggest being the switch from the oscillator to the conventional ventilator. This is a big deal for a few reasons. First and foremost, it moves her much closer to her repair surgery. Second, the conventional ventilator is a more comfortable machine. There are no vibrations and noise, the tubing is less rigid, and it allows for less sedation. Viv was so alert after the switch. She was looking all around and really studying our faces. It was almost like meeting her again for the first time.

The second big step today involved weaning her blood pressure medication. Her Dopamine level dropped from 14 to 10. This also bodes well for surgery. Additionally, Viv's oxygen support was down to 29 when we left today which is the lowest it has ever been.

The only hiccup today came during care. Something really upset her (we don't know what), and it sent her into a fit. Her heart rate spiked to over 200, and she was heaving/gagging. Luckily it didn't last too long, and I was able to help calm her and bring her heart rate down. Hopefully we will have less of these episodes now that she's on the conventional vent.

Here's a short video of Viv enjoying her new set-up. Compared to yesterday's video it's easy to see why mom, dad, and Vivienne are excited for the change.

We're excited to hear what the doctors have to say during rounds tomorrow and are hopeful that surgery is just around the corner.