Decisions

Rebekah has not really had any major changes in the last 24 hours. We go up on oxygen a little and back down a little, but we have not been able to completely come off the oxygen. The breathing treatments seem to maybe be helping a little, but there are times when Rebekah gets quite congested again and struggles to breathe. The g-tube had a major leak this morning, enough to soak Rebekah's shirt all the way around, so we're not sure why that happened, just watching to see if it happens again.

Our decision is this: do we stay in the hospital, or try to go home and manage Rebekah's care at home? If you have seen the news at all today, you are aware that a major snow and ice storm is hitting the southeast today and tomorrow. Here in Greenville, we are forecast to get more than 3 inches of snow followed by sleet and freezing rain. If we do go home, it might be a problem to get back to the hospital should we need to. If we stay at the hospital, I will not be able to see the boys until sometime next week, possibly next Sunday if we are here that long. Dr. Darby is willing to go either way and is leaving the decision up to Drew and I. Dr. Lucas, our cardiologist, is also supposed to be by this afternoon to weigh in on his opinion. I highly value his perspective and am anxious to see what he thinks.

The decision all hinges on the home oxygen being set up today, and that might break the decision altogether. If we can't get the oxygen at home today, then we are staying here. Period. If we are able to get the home oxygen, we will go home with oxygen, a heart/oxygen monitor and around-the-clock breathing treatments in addition to the regular schedule of continuous night feedings and medications.

We want what is best for our whole family, including Rebekah, and sometimes the answer isn't wrapped up with a neat little bow! Please pray that Drew and I and all the doctors involved in Rebekah's care will make the best decision, and that we will have peace about what that decision is. The boys are missing me and haven't seen their sister in three weeks. Right now I feel very torn about where I need to be. We would appreciate your prayers!

Update: Thank you all for your prayers. The decision was ultimately taken out of our hands. The cardiology team decided that we are where we need to be right now, so we are not leaving the hospital. Because of Rebekah's elevated heart rate the last two nights, our cardiologist wanted some tests run overnight and into tomorrow. So, the earliest possible discharge would be late tomorrow or early Sunday. So for now, we're watching snow flurries from our hospital window!

Nancy