Multi organ failure, back to cath lab

Riley’s blood pressure sometimes dips into the high 50s and low 60s, although sometimes stretches into the 70s. There is grave concern about his status. He is having kidney and liver failure because there is not enough oxygen getting to his organs. His platelet count is dangerously low.

Dogs at work. Work, dogs, work.

* They are concerned that he is having heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a reaction to the blood thinner heparin. If he does have HIT, the blood thinning medication can have the opposite effect and cause deep vein clots. He is about to have an all-over ultrasound to look for clots.

* As a precautionary measure, they are starting him on an antifungal medication, in addition to the antibiotics he's already getting, just incase an infection is causing the platelet problem.

* He is going to have a cardiac catheterization today to look at one of the connections done during his surgery to make sure that it isn’t blocked. It’s called the baffle connection, which is the connection from the ventricle to the aorta. 

* While they have the catheter in his groin, they are going to start dialysis. It is going to happened exceedingly slowly--possibly over a 24-hour period--because if it happens too quickly it will mess with his already low blood pressure.

And, of course, I'm discouraged by the fact that Riley hasn't roused at all during that last 36 hours despite having removed all of the sedatives. The doctors said that's because his organs cannot metabolize the medicine, therefore it can take days before it works it's way out. Still, I would like to see him open his eyes a bit to let me know he's still in there. So scared...