Carrie did really good this morning at her attempt to come off the ventilator. I’m so proud of her, but we’re not there quite yet.

This morning they took Carrie completely off the ventilator pressure support and allowed her to breathe normally on her own. Her oxygen support was at 40% and her breaths were nice and deep. She did well for nearly an hour.

After some time, she started coughing. Her movements shook the ventilator hose loose, and it was off for a few seconds. Breathing on her own, its not a big deal other than for a moment she didn’t have any supplemental oxygen.

Even as that happened, her oxygen saturation stayed high. But her anxiety heightened as well. Her breathing rate became more shallow and her breaths became more rapid. We attempted to calm her down and encourage her to take slow deep breaths. I reassured her that I was right there and that I would not let anything bad happen to her. But after about 15 minutes of attempting to calm her, they felt she needed a break from trying so hard.

The nurse gave her some anxiety medication and they put her back on the ventilator pressure support. They’re also giving her a diuretic to make sure that she doesn’t have any extra fluid buildup around her lungs. Her kidneys are working great and no more dialysis has been ordered.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

I’ve been reassured that coming off the ventilator may take several attempts. Each day she will get stronger. They believe she is ready, or nearly ready to come off the ventilator. But they want to be absolutely sure that she will be able to breathe on her own without complications, or we risk having to reintubate her at a later time.

All indications point to her lungs healing. Her oxygen saturation is excellent. Her ventilator settings are right where they need to be. I think its also possible she may need another day to detox off of the sedation meds that she’s been on for the last 17 days – Propofol and fentanyl. She hasn’t been off them even 24 hours yet, I can’t imagine they’re entirely out of her system. And while she is responsive and will answer all questions, she is still really, really groggy.

Today Jeremiah is 22 weeks along. He’s still doing great. Both Carrie and Jeremiah are fighters, and we’re winning.

Please keep the prayers coming, both for Carrie and myself. I’m holding up but I’m tired. Today will be a day of rest, and tomorrow we will try again. Thank you all for the many, many, prayers, words of encouragement, and support. I appreciate all of you so much!