Tuesday, September 22, 2009

uncharted treatment

Ellis did REALLY well today!!! His team was able to wean him off ECMO by over 50% - he surprised everyone. Great job, Ellis!!! He is still fighting. Tonight, he will rest at the current support settings, and his surgeon will make the call as to whether or not to move off ECMO tomorrow based on his morning blood-gas test, chest x-ray, and stats. The NICU team is uneasy because no one knows if he can be supported by the oscillator and nitric alone…and going back to ECMO will not be an option.

Normally, the use of ECMO, oscillator, and nitric together are applied in emergency situation when a patient has to be “kicked off” ECMO because of serious bleeds on the brain; it is a transition that spans hours not days. This is a last ditch effort to buy Ellis more time in hopes that he will turn that corner by doing something his team has never done – use the 3 treatments in tandem over a couple days! A counselor told me today that during this morning’s rounds a team member said of Ellis' case, “We are just not ready to let go.” His team is amazing! We are forever grateful for all the time they have given Ellis and our family.

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