Its a Big Day for Ajay!! April 21, 2012

Ajay had a big day....his 2 chest tubes were removed, and he WAS weaned off the vent!  They sprinted him earlier today (kinda a trial run) and he passed!!! They decided that since he did so well, he could be extubated!!! They extubated him (took him off the vent) around 3 pm and although he struggled some, due to controlling his blood pressure and heart rate due to high blood pressures ( HR up to 175) and treated with meds so that his heart and lungs wouldn't have to work as hard. Being off the vent for the first time, he did well, but quickly was put on C-PAP for high pressure airflow to his lungs. I believe the left lung is only inflated partially on the upper lobe, and the right lung is working hard to inflate middle and lower lobes. He will be on this C-PAP device for a while, then weaned to high flow oxygen, then eventually weaned to regular oxygen. Not sure how long that takes, but if I remember correctly, it was about 2 weeks last time....at any rate, its fine. We (they) will wean as he needs it and won't reintubate unless he isn't doing well. So far his blood gases are coming back within normal ranges. Thank God!!!

The next few days will be filled with lots of percussion and suctioning to clear his lungs of the natural secretions that protect the body during trauma. Three open heart surgeries in 3 days is quite the "trauma" for such a little person AND who has one working lung with blood flow. 

Ajay will also start feeding again soon, but at an extremely slow rate of course.

Please pray for Ajay not to struggle to breathe. Breathing is something we all take for granted. Ajay's normal breathing is like you and I breathing through a straw....and his straw is smashed ( due to malasia). Try it...its quite hard :) Ajay is used to that rate which is amazing, but now he has only one lung to overcome his same breathing pattern. (which I can't even fathom!)

Thank you for all the prayers! They ARE working!!!