12-13-17 @ 1:00 pm:
No position is comfortable. No words are reassuring. No relief has been reached. We traverse on the first 24 hours after surgery and pain management has taken a downward spiral.
Ella will remain in the PICU for another 24 hours. New meds and an increase in current med doses, change in rates, and tweaks of frequencies have been ordered by her pain management team. They are paying close attention to her hemoglobin as those numbers have dropped while at the same time monitoring her tachycardia (she has an increased heart rate alongside low blood pressure). With all the increases in meds and new ones introduced her respiration has slowed down a bit so we watch that as well. She has gotten very little sleep, has eaten nothing, and is allowed only small amounts of water.
This has been, without a doubt, a very trying time for us. It's difficult, to say the least, not to be able to provide comfort for her especially because she is asking for it on an almost constant basis. We do all we can for her but nothing seems to work...hopefully, the new regiment of medications will allow her some relief.
We know many of you have prayed and sent positive thoughts and support our way; and for that we are grateful.
It's times like this that we so deeply depend on our family and friends...
