10.9.21 ICU 15

Aimee left me again today for another abdominal CT scan. I don’t results on that yet, as it was just completed this evening. I hope to hear in the morning what the gen surgery team thinks of the results. This mornings x-ray was unchanged from yesterdays, but doesn’t have enough detail for them to see if there is anything that they can do for Aimee’s uncomfortably swollen belly. 

It is easy to allow depression and fear to weigh on me here. One simple tool I have found to help is to have an activity to do and to change up what it is about once a week. It is soothing and gives me a different mental focus while also not requiring a good deal of thought. This week I did a paint by number. I ordered a few water color project kits to do and have Ed bringing me in some felt to attempt making little animals. If you have any inspiration for me of similar types of outlets, please share! 

Today the team made a few more increase changes to Aimee’s vent settings and she is much better supported. Her heart rate is lower and her CO2 is better. They had been trying to push her to take on some of the work of breathing herself, but as that was unsuccessful there is no reason for her to struggle. 

I met with ENT today and signed consent forms for a trach surgery to be done at some point next week as their schedule allows. Now that we have officially decided, they would like to get her off the breathing tube as soon as they can.