One gone...

Another big day for our little Koal man today.  We started off the morning with a trip back down for another x-ray (they do one each morning that he has his chest tubes in), and he enjoyed the ride again. Then he was given a bit of sedation and they removed one of his tubes! We were hoping to have both gone, but the x-ray showed a bit of air around his left lung. There is always a risk of a lung collapse when removing chest tubes due to the change in pressure, and the air around the lung greatly increases that risk, so the tube stayed. With the remaining chest tube in place, more fluid can drain and the air around the lung can be suctioned off so removal can take place tomorrow morning. Our echocardiogram has been moved to Friday morning, but even with this minor setback, the doc still says discharge can still happen this weekend! Please pray for ease in tomorrow’s procedure to remove Koal’s second chest tube and for a great echo on Friday.

Last night was a rough night for the little man, and therefore me (and our poor nurse, Amy!).  We had the room to ourselves, as the young girl from Monday and Tuesday got to go home.  Good thing we were alone, too, because the little man screamed and cried for hours.  It was much like before the surgery when we were home – only Adam can’t take him in the car for a ride – we can’t even walk or stroll him around as he’s got too many tubes.  Nurse Amy is back tonight (brave girl!), and we have a new roommate,  so please pray that Koalton can stay settled and have a great night’s rest.

We did have a some fun moments with the little stinker today, too.  Adam got him to laugh a couple times and the smiles are becoming much more frequent.  We are so thankful he is starting to feel better little by little – even just enough for a smile occasionally. Thank you for your continued prayers for his recovery. We are overwhelmed by the kind messages we’ve received (thanks facebook!), and the abundant blessings of support from friends and family.