Ben had a good night on the breathing machine. They took a lot of fluid off his lungs and the pulmonary edema has improved (liquid/blood in lungs). The doctors visited on rounds this morning and seem pleased with Ben's current condition and improvement. Another echo yesterday evening still indicates that the heart is doing well and not likely causing the issues with the oxygen exchange. They think the O2 issue is a result of collapsed portions of the lungs and fluid.
The plan is to keep him quiet on the breathing tube for the next day or two and to slowly wean him from it. Obviously they don't want to rush things and end up needing to put the tube back in a third time, so they will take a very measured approach to the next extubation.
He is resting comfortably, but had enough energy and alertness this morning to give us a thumbs up.
Once again we are so thankful for the medical staff. Our nurse today, Desty, is taking care of Ben for the third day. She is incredibly skilled, knowledgeable and caring, as all the nurses have been. We're learning a lot from her as she explains what's happening, what medications do, and interprets the doctors for us. The doctors, (Backer, Kaushal, Epstein, et al) and nurse practitioners, too, take a great deal of time and intention to help us understand what is happening with Ben and why they are making the decisions they do.
We journey onward.
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