Another fast week....

We had another good week with Sam here in the hospital. We did our 5th trach change on Tuesday in a rush when we suspected she had a bit of mucus stuck in there.  We were scheduled to do it at some point in the morning but wound up doing it at 6 AM. Samantha was not happy to be bothered so early in the morning, but our suspicions proved to be true.  There was a bit of gunk stuck in there.  All was well as soon as we changed the trach.  Actually, she was still doing fine with the mostly clogged trach, which shows you just how much she needs it right now (not that much).

Sammy has been off of the vent for up to three hours at a time, two times a day this week. It is really incredible.  In addition, she has been upright more and more.  Samantha took her first independent steps since this crisis began this week.  Her labs seem to have calmed down for now, and she continues to talk up a storm.  

There is a new finding that has us a little concerned,  but we are hopeful it turns out to be nothing. The attending noticed that Sam's heart lead line looked "different" to him on the monitor, so he ordered an EKG. Samantha has had two previous EKG's during this admission which looked normal (as did her EKG this past summer).  The EKG yesterday showed an abnormality in her heartbeat (QRS is long).  As Sam is not showing symptoms, there is really nothing to be done right now but keep an eye on it.  We will consult with a cardiologist next week.   The attending isn't sure if this is just a symptom of her mito that may come and go, or if this is a side effect of one of her meds (he thinks less likely).  Again, Sam's doing fine right now, but of course, anything new leaves us just a bit worried--especially when it pertains to her heart. We shall see.

Samantha continues to amaze us with her sweet self, and we should be home in less than a week and a half if all goes well.  That makes us all very happy.

Until next time,

Monica