12/7 6:30 pm

Our room is getting a bit crowded with machines.

 Ethan had his echo this afternoon.  His cardiologist came by and said that his heart is looking a little better. His severe heart failure of the right ventricle has been reduced to moderate heart failure of the right ventricle. Don’t freak out too much with that term. Heart failure by definition is a heart that isn’t pumping efficiently.  We already new that so those terms sound scary but he can overcome that term. They should change the name to something less scary like Ethan needs “heart optimization”. Like a car engine that needs some tuning.

Ethan’s lung function has improved so they started him on an inhaled medication for the pressures in his lungs. They gave him a half dose and he tolerated it. He will soon get his next dose which will be a full dose.  As long as he tolerates that, he will get another dose about 11 pm. If things are still stable, he will get his ECMO turned down a little and make his heart do more of the work.

It’s going to be a busy night.  

They sent out cultures on his urine and lung yuck (medical term) because it just looks not healthy. He is getting his lungs suctioned and lavages frequently. He also still has a fever, so they brought this nifty cooling device that cools down the blood going into Ethan’s body.

They brought the cooling machine into his room. I asked “Is this the portable margarita machine?”  Sadly it was not. I did share that some day when I design an ICU, there will be a bar on every floor with a portable margarita machine that visits each room twice a week. I would also design the IV pumps to have more plugs in them. There is just never enough.

Not a margarita machine ☹️.

If all goes well they are going to continue to make Ethan’s heart work a little bit harder until it’s doing all the work. Then they can discuss removing the ECMO cannulas and lines. Maybe by the end of the week?

The nurses are shocked at all the medication he is getting and still hulking through it to try and sit up. I think once he gets a little clarity he panics.  I am able to calm him down trying to have him focus on his breathing.  He always asks who people are by pointing at them and shrugging his shoulders.

Mom, this is good practice for me so when your dementia gets really bad I will be an expert. Ha ha.