A Much Better Day

After having a difficult week, Emma is clearly feeling better today. Her oxygen and ventilator requirements are much lower than they've been. In fact, if she continues to be stable, the team feels she may be ready to be extubated by the weekend!!

If all goes well, she'll be taken off the ventilator and put on a nasal CPAP device. Unlike a respirator, the CPAP doesn't actually mechanically breathe for Emma, but provides continuous air pressure that makes it easier for her to inflate her lungs when she inhales. It is both less aggressive and less invasive than the ventilator. This will be a major milestone/big step forward for Emma as continued dependence on the respirator is hard on her already fragile lungs.

Further good news: Emma had another head ultrasound yesterday and the results were normal with no evidence of a intraventricular hemorrhage (aka "brain bleed").

So, it was good news all around today.... hopefully the trend will continue!