Last night wasn’t so great.  Kaci did okay—her cough has gotten much worse and her breathing is labored.  We found out from the chest x-ray this morning that her right lung is completely blocked, but her left is clear.  This was expected though so I’m not totally freaking out. 

This is the first time I’ve ever stayed in an ICU overnight.  An adult ICU that is.  We were in the ICU with Kalyn for several days after her surgery, and in the NICU with Kynan and Kaci for a couple of weeks.  This was the first time in a normal ICU.  It was sad.

In addition to having to hear my own child’s alarms sound all the time, I had to hear the alarms of all of the other patients.  Including the alarms of the brain dead man two rooms over—they go off A LOT.  Along with hearing all of his alarms, I had to hear the wails and pleas of his family for several hours. 

The man has been brain dead for several days—but the family just won’t let him go.  They keep begging him to wake up.  His sister is the loudest.  She has the traditional southern belle voice and just sounds so frantic for him to wake up.  The nurses think that the family has an alcohol problem because they all act drunk every time they are here. 

I feel bad for the family but even worse for the man.  I have never understood why somebody would want to keep technically alive a person who will never truly be alive (in this way) again.  Of course, this is coming from a woman who has never been placed in that situation.  I don’t know how I would behave or react-but I like to think that I would be able to keep an eternal perspective.  I am sure it is an impossible thing to say goodbye though.

We are still in the ICU today since Kaci is worse—but maybe we can be moved to the floor this evening. 

Kaci is the smallest person to ever stay in this ICU.  They don’t usually accommodate babies—especially not this small.  The nurses have had trouble with a few things they are not used to doing and have had to call in help from pediatrics a couple times.  It is particularly hard to get IVs started on Kaci—it always has been.  Her veins are very small and don’t like being poked.  Her IV from yesterday went bad this morning so they had to put another one in.  Thankfully they only had to poke once this time.  She is very brave.  Her cry is quite a bit stronger now.  I am very thankful for that.

The bed I slept on last night was interesting.  It is designed to keep patients from getting pressure ulcers, and it changes shapes/hardness periodically with the help of air.  It was fun to get used to.  It scared me the first few times.  I didn’t know if the world was moving or if it was my imagination—but I got used to it and when I was actually asleep, I slept pretty well.

Heath had Kynan, Kalyn, and Keali last night and this morning.  He kept Kalyn and Keali home from school because both have been feeling bad.  Kalyn got sick at school yesterday and Keali has been having tummy trouble.  Kynan slept very well last night, but I know Heath didn’t.  This situation isn’t ideal—but I am still thankful that we caught it early and are able to treat it.

I think about the people who lived a hundred years ago.  If we had been among them, and all of what has happened happened then, we would have a much different outcome.  We are blessed to have the technology and medical knowledge we have today.