.270 Report post Posted October 16, 2010 tomorrow will be 28 days in the icu for our granddaughter. but tonight she was smiling, trying to crawl around in her bed, playing with some toys and laughing. even tho when she laughs she still can't make any noise, because of all the trauma she's had to her trachea and voice box and stuff. she still has hoses and tubes and wires all over her. things were really dire for awhile. she came as close as you can a couple times. she still has some trying times. she was on fentanyl, a morphine drug 10x as strong as morphine, for 2 weeks, and now they have to give her methadone to treat the withdrawl symptoms. sorta like being in rehab, along with everything else, at 6 months. but it's a good thing, without being able to paralyze her while all the surgery healed up, she probably wouldn't have been able to recover. she ain't quite outta the woods yet, but you can see the prarie through the trees. it's a rotten deal and i'd hate to go through it again, but it looks like it's gonna have a happy ending. you guys remember what's important. next time your kids are raisin' h e l l or disappoint ya, be thankful they ain't sick. and always let em know how important they are. i wish i coulda seen her smile a little better. it's hard to see through all them tears of joy. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xman2000 Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Lark my family and I will be praying for her to pull out of it can't imagine what you guys are having to go through Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Thanks for sharing with us. I'm hoping to see her home soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MangeyJoe Report post Posted October 16, 2010 My prayers go out to you and your family. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Prayers go out to her and your family, I hate to hear kids being g sick. I hope she heals soon and gets to go home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunter4life Report post Posted October 16, 2010 May our Lord Jesus bless her and your family during this time. As in your words, this set back has brought new meaning of "cherish your time with your loved ones" I asked that Gods grace look apun you during this healing process as she returns from the meds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunterjohnny Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Keep the faith, prayers your way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FRAZIER Report post Posted October 16, 2010 I have been praying since i heard. Our Love to the whole family. We can't imagine how tough it's been for everyone. You are the best Grandparents, with the largest hearts of any people i have ever met! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stanley Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Good Lord Lark, I just saw this and I'm a little choked right now...... My little Greta just killed her first deer last weekend, and this reminds me what an extraordinary gift it was, just to be able to hunt with her. God bless to you & yours. S. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Santana Outdoors Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Lark, our prayers to her and your family. May God bless her and bring her home healed in Jesus name, Amen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted October 16, 2010 "i wish i coulda seen her smile a little better. it's hard to see through all them tears of joy. Lark." I was touched by your story, Lark, and I count my blessings that my daughter and her children did not have to go through what your granddaughter is experiencing. God bless you and your family. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Lark, I just found and read your first "meaning of life" post. Seems that the trail out of the woods has had its rocks and turns for your granddaughter, but the ride together has blessed the family in other ways. May God be with y'all and y'all with Him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted October 16, 2010 Our prayers are with your family. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted October 17, 2010 just got home from the hospital. not one emergency all day. no suction, no problems with anything. her mom gets to feed her again. she either played and laughed and smiled, or ate and slept, all day. all the iv's and wires and tubes and stuff have been removed. she's still on a little o2, but they are diminishing that all the time and she still is taking the methadone for the withdrawls, but that is going down too. she acts a little drunk, because of it, but she is one happy little camper and her family is one thankfull buncha folks. things are lookin' pretty good right now. if she keeps it up, she might even get to go home sometime next week. what happened to her was for whatever reason, guess you'd call it a birth defect, her pumonary artery grew around her trachea and crushed and deformed it like a boa. they that to put her on a bypass machine, cut all her ribs, cut her trachea, relocate the artery to where it should be and then rebuild her trachea. had some problems with the trachea repair not wanting to stay open and all kindsa other stuff. she "coded" once and almost did a couple other times, in the week after the surgery. them dr's know what the heck they are doing. i wonder how much of this kinda stuff will not happen anymore under obamacare? one thing i did learn through all this, is no matter how bad off you are, you don't have to look far to find someone who is worse. some o' those poor little babies in that place are going through a lot more than Lark. several haven't made it since she's been there too. seeing the devastation on their parents faces is hard to take. i know what it's like to lose a child and it really pains me to see someone have to go through it too. but today is a good day for our family. there were times that it looked pretty dire but i always had faith that she'd pull through. even when things were darkest. thanks for all the concern and kind words. and you knotheads remember always what is truly important. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ac guy Report post Posted October 17, 2010 This brings back memories that I would rather forget. I was in this boat when my daughter was 4 months old(she's now a spunky 8 y/o). Seeing the other families and their grief while in PICU was very difficult. Glad everything is coming together with your granddaughter. I think the hardest part of going through ordeals like this is you're completely helpless. We're big strong rough and gruff men, who can do about anything, but our kids get seriously sick or injured and all we can do is watch and pray. It really puts life in perspective. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites