A Very Long Day!

This will undoubtedly be remembered by Ted and Jodi as one of the longest days of their lives!

It began with another CT scan to check for possible changes in Mitchell's brain; the hope was that there would be none. Thankfully, this was the case, but the family had to wait the entire day to get these results. Both the neurosurgeon and neurologist now agree that the hemorrhage was not a Grade IV. This is very encouraging news as far as what they can expect developmentally in the future. While neither of the doctors are able to predict with certainty what Mitchell will be facing, the reclassification from a IV to a probable III is very significant.

Another slight bump in the road occurred when the nurses attempted to start a regular IV line but weren't able, and this required the insertion of a PICC line. I'm fairly certain Jodi said they made six attempts before being successful, but it is now in place. The next step was to extubate him; Jodi just called to inform me that this has been accomplished - very good news! The central line should be coming out tomorrow; there is a chance of some bleeding with this procedure, so we would appreciate prayers that this will go as smoothly as possible. His chest tube will probably be removed in a day or two. Even though this has been a setback of a couple of days, Mitchell seems to be back on track and the neurological reports are much more encouraging than they were previously.

Needless to say, Ted, Jodi, and the rest of the family are physically and emotionally exhausted tonight. Jean and Bethany will be returning to Pensacola tomorrow; they will surely be missed, and everyone has greatly appreciated their help, and the help of many others, through these past couple of weeks.