Not Gonna Stay Still

May 7, 2009

(Airica hanging around)

Today was a good news day again.  Airica's chest x-rays showed that her lungs were clearing up faster than they expected and the steroids continued to shrink the tumor.  The only problem was that she was fighting against the drugs that were trying to keep her still and resting.  It was amazing to interact with her but a wrong movement, and she could compromise the life giving connections that she wasn't even aware of.  

Because of all of these things combined the doctors were considering taking the heart bypass machine off early and just using the tubes she was intubated with to oxygenate her blood.  It would be more possible now that her lungs were clearing up.  Scary, exciting, but they did want to give it a few more days. 

Airica was opening her eyes, moving her hands and arms, and tucking her feet under the bar.  It was pretty great to somewhat interact with her.  I would talk to her and she would open her eyes, or squeeze my hand, and at the same time the brain wave monitor would light up.  It was great.  I knew she was going to fight her way off of these machines.  I mean look how amazing she was doing so far.  They were already calling her the miracle child.

Airica never wanted to stay still!  She was always doing something.  We could get home from a weekend out of town filled with fun adventures and she would ask, "What are we going to do now?"  Maybe rest?  Not in her vocabulary.  If we came back from a weekend camping trip she would extend it in the backyard! 

  

You get the picture.  So it was not a surprise to me that she would be done with "resting" sooner than the doctors anticipated.  This child, this amazing person, my baby, was so strong and full of life she continued to amaze me as each day passed.