Tubes going back in

After Riley's first surgery in 2003 we learned a basic rule of hospitalization: tubes going out = good; tubes going in = bad. Which means we're headed in the wrong direction again today. Overnight Riley received a potassium drip and is now on a drip to replenish his fluids and electrolytes. Riley is currently NPO (nothing by mouth, or nil per os for you Latin scholars). He can't eat or drink anything because they're planning to sedate him and put a left pigtail chest tube back in tonight between 4 and 6 pm. There are also questions about the right pigtail chest tube, which hasn't been draining for 24 hours despite x-ray indications of additional fluid. They're going to try to flush that drain to get it working in a few hours. If they can't, I expect they'll try to replace that drain as well while Riley is out.

It's very frustrating for all involved. We've been walking on a treadmill and now it feels like we've stopped and are slowly moving backwards. The discomfort of two pigtail drains - not to mention the immobility associated with two VCR-sized boxes attached to your body - is really going to set the healing process back. Riley's body already seems to be wasting away as it is. We need to get him sitting up, standing and walking, but that won't be happening with these drains.

On the plus side (we take our positives when we can get them) the doctors will remove the stitches in Riley's neck from the ECMO machine. That wound has really been irritating the kid and he touches and picks at it regularly.