I will apologize in advance for the focus on bodily functions in this posting. There is so much focus, that I deliberated on entitling it: No Puke; More Poop. So if you don't want to hear more, that's the Reader's Digest recap.
Yesterday, due to vomiting issues, they had stopped Shirley's tube feeding and there were growing concerns of some sort of bowel obstruction. I'm happy to report that things are returning more to normal now and she is having bowel movements again. Her vomiting has also stopped and they have resumed tube feeding at a trickle to ensure that things are working.
They tried another breathing test this morning, but there is still too much pressure on her lungs and too much fluid within the lung tissue. In normal people, there are vessels that are part of the lymphatic system that can draw this excess fluid away. However those vessels were attached to Shirley's old lungs, not the new ones.
The doctor said today that one way to compensate for this is for her to have lots of protein. Apparently, protein in the blood helps as some sort of attractant and can help pull away the moisture. Of course, consuming protein means having to intake food--and keep it down, so the pace that they can draw off is slow.
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