3/4 More Milk, Breathing Trials, and Training

Leo had another x-ray this morning to confirm that chylothorax is not returning. The x-ray looked good and so Leo is now receiving half breast milk and half formula. He also continues to do well on breathing trials and is now doing them for a 3 hr period twice a day instead of 2 hr period. Even though we would get more assistance if Leo were to go home on a ventilator, we would rather have him get off it as soon as possible. We will deal with less hours of home nursing and whatever else we wouldn't get just to not have to deal with the headache of a ventilator. 

Kate and I continue to get more and more training on how to take care of Leo. This includes learning how to change the trach, change his trach ties and how to clean the area around the trach. The hospital requires you to document a certain number of times that you have done each procedure with assistance from hospital staff and how many times you have done the procedures on your own. Kate and I are trying to get this done as soon as possible so that we don't have to stay at the hospital any longer than we have to. Kate is right, the trach room that Leo is in not ideal. It defeats the purpose of having family stay to practice taking care of Leo when there is really no place for you to stay. 

Yesterday I was able to get all the big furniture moved between rooms thanks to all of the help from my friends. Thank you so much to the Sparks for snow blowing my driveway on Sunday. With Sammie having a cold, I wasn't going to take her outside so I am pretty sure my driveway would still have snow in it if it wasn't for you. Tomorrow we interview a home nursing agency, sign consents and have blood drawn for genetic testing, and more training. With work and everything going on at the hospital, should be a very busy day. 

I am going to get settled into my chair/bed for the night. Good night everyone.