Getting some tubes removed, new IV put in, dietary restrictions

Riley is having his intracardiac line and two of the three drainage tubes removed right now. Earlier today his IV needed to be removed because it went bad (it made his right hand all swollen and puffy). Unfortunately, even though Riley is eating on his own, the doctors like to have an IV in place prior to removal of the lines. So, that means they need to put a new one in first. They have sedated him with morphine and versed. This is the second attempt of the day, they were unable to get a good vein earlier. Keeping the fingers crossed that they'll get it done this time.

Also, we met with the nutritionist earlier about Riley's diet in light of the chylous. He will need a low fat diet for six weeks, starting today. Unfortunately, up until now we've focused Riley's diet on the complete opposite - high calorie, fatty foods that will allow him to grow and gain weight. Recommendation from the nutritionist is to give him nonfat milk, fruits, crackers, etc. They'll be counting his calories starting today to make sure he is getting what he needs. He ate some Cheerios, fruit and nonfat yogurt, but didn't particularly care for the nonfat milk. If he doesn't get what he needs, we'll need to supplement his diet with a special formula that is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs bypass the lymphatic system, which means they won't cause fluid leakage.

Chest tube drainage was very low today, which is a good sign. However, since his diet has been extremely low in fatty acids, we don't know if that's because the tear is healing or because there is no fat in his diet.