FW:

This was Maverick this morning. He was resting well. He's had a great day. Still weaning on his vent and his gases have been great. His current vent setting are 35%, R12 (yes, 12!), PS15/5, TV30. His pH has been around 7.4 and his CO2 has been in the 30's. People have asked me why I think he's doing so well - I say he likes Oklahoma.... But seriously, the only thing I can think of is that he's probably had that pleural effusion cooking for awhile and that's why he wasn't able to wean very well from the vent while we were in Dallas. With it now resolved, he's weaning like a champ. So far no re-accumulation of the fluid. The best Christmas present would be for him to be extubated! Keep saying your prayers - we're having lots of them answered lately!

He had a neurology consult today for his continued weakness, and they say he has ICU myopathy. There are several risk factors for it (paralytics, sepsis, steroid administration, and prolonged ICU stays) and he's had all the above. The good news is he can recover from it and the doctor said it doesn't usually affect the muscles used for breathing (which means he should be able to wean off the vent fine). The not so good news is it usually takes about 4-6 months to recover. The doc also said he's never seen it in a patient this young. Leave it to Maverick. He is getting a bit stronger though and is moving his head alot more on his own.

I was able to see many more friends today - thank you all! Maverick was able to see his poppa jellybean (my dad), Maddie, Carter, Chloe, his aunt Jan and uncle Bob today as well. It's been so nice to have him close to home. I'll update you all tomorrow - love you all - jc