Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sleeping at the house tonight

We are home now for a short night of sleep. It is very hard to leave Wren in the CVICU. We just returned from another visit and contrary to how we were told that he would be heavily sedated, he was waking up and looking around. He even tried to say "dada" through the breathing tube in his mouth.

This is very distressing. I sat with him for a long while and he fell into a deep sleep. After about 45 minutes he started moving again, kicking a bit and lifting up his head. He is obviously in discomfit from the intubation.

The nurse gave him more versed and he settled again.

We think that our voices make him more agitated but it is good to be there to soothe him as he rouses.

There is no place to rest or lie down in the CVICU. Beds are close together with little space around so I do not know how we will manage to be with Wren when he is more alert and needs our company. We both hope he can be extubated tomorrow and move onto the next stage.

When I left he was asleep. The nurse said his chest tube output was tapering from 20 per hour to only 12 in the last hour. Not sure what the units mean - CC's perhaps?

Unfortunately, my nightmare of Wren waking and feeling he has been abducted and deserted has some truth in it BUT we are trusting in the fact he is still very dopey and will not remember this (as Joshua assures me he remembers nothing of his recovery from his appendectomy).

Sleep now. Thanks for all the emails and posts.

5 comments:

Shirl said...

Having had surgery recently, the one thing I do remember most vividly are the voices of those I loved (through the dopiness). I recall that they did make me seemingly agitated because I desperately wanted to respond - but not in a bad way. On the contrary, it was enormously comforting for me to hear them, if that encourages you ...

heartmom1204 said...

Sleep well tonight, a hard day done. Black squirrels are a good omen because they are only found in the city, an adaptation by evolving camouflage in the city - a wonderful sign of resiliency and survival against new odds. Although you will remember all this, Wren will recall little since Versed is a powerful drug for inducing amnesia and calming anxiety. Keep talking to him, you are the familiar and reassuring voices that he needs to hear in the midst of all of the ICU noises. Thanks for the updates. Hugs from the rainy city - Josephine

Lauren said...

My mom had OHS on 11/9 last year. She doesn't remember ANY of the time she was kept under (for a long time too - I think 2 days?) So this will likely not even be a blip on his little radar. You'll remember much more than he will.

Sleep well!

Terri@SteelMagnolia said...

I have been told that Versed is the most wonderful drug...
they won't remember a thing...

that's what the CVICU nurses told us anyway....

Get some sleep! ;-)

Wyndi said...

we got home after midnight and i rushed down to se ehow wren is doing and am so happy to see that his surgery went well and that her has his valve! we have been thinknig of you nonstop and sending our love. Stevens brother is in that area and wants to offer help i'll email you his info~wyndi