Stuck on the Plateau

After reaching so many amazing milestones over the first few days post surgery, we feel like we've fallen into a rut with much less visible progress on a daily basis and a few setbacks.  I've previously written about the A-Fib issue which continues to occur once or twice a day, but is at least falling into a predictable pattern and settles down within 15-30 minutes.

Our newest challenge is a rise in white blood cell count.  Typically, this is an indicator of an infection, so both blood and urine tests have been ordered to try and identify a possible culprit.  The rapid UA test didn't indicate a bladder infection and we're now waiting on the cultures to grow to see if anything shows up.  The white cell count isn't high enough that they feel an immediate need to start antibiotics blind, but with her suppressed immune state, they are being cautious. There is also the possibility that the count is going up because of the prednisone she is taking, so we wait to see if the tests point to something that needs to be treated.

I've written about her remaining chest tubes a time or two; and despite mentions on several mornings by the doctors they would be coming out, they remain in.  We understand the purpose they play and that removing them prematurely could lead to problems, but having hopes dashed about this last set of tubes being taken out has been very frustrating and disappointing to Shirley.  We've asked them to stop saying "maybe" and instead stick to the facts about why they are still in.  The tubes serve two purposes:  the most obvious is that they provide a means of draining excess fluid around the lungs.

The second purpose is they provide a means for the medical staff to determine if there are any small air leaks in the lungs.  Today they explained that often during the transplant process the new lungs get small nicks that allow air to escape.  These heal over time but with the chest tubes in, they can ask Shirley to cough and can see small bubbles.

The fluid volume has reduced to the point that they could remove the tubes, but there is still evidence of a few air leaks that they want to be able to monitor.

So the wait and the healing continues.