Resting.

Bonnie, that is.  Or at least that's the goal of ECMO at the moment.  It's taken a few days (since Friday when she was placed on ECMO) to get her blood pressure and blood volume stable.  The machine is dependent on how much blood volume is circulating, and her blood pressure is also a reflection of her blood volume.  So. She's had to get extra fluids and blood products to keep her blood pressure up and keep the ECMO machine happy.  Today seems to be the first day that there hasn't had to be constant tinkering of volume and blood pressure (she's off her blood pressure medicine as of yesterday afternoon--yay!), so after some discussion amongst various of her doctors, they started "pulling off" some extra fluid via her dialysis-but-not-really-dialysis. (It's CVVH--continuous veno-venous hemofiltration, if you're keeping track.  I haven't figured out yet how that differs from "real" dialysis, but apparently it does.) They're doing that *very* slowly right now, but eventually it should help her to de-puff.

I asked one of Bonnie's nurses today if she was actually making any progress.  Short answer is no.  Right now the goal is for her heart and lungs to rest so that when she comes off ECMO (which isn't likely for another couple weeks at least) they can start to function like they're supposed to.  So, the good news is that she hasn't had any complications so far from being on ECMO.  The bad news is that we still really don't know how she's going to do.  I realize it's only been a few days, but already I'm getting impatient for this train to start moving.  I'm ready for them to starting weaning her ECMO settings.  (Or more accurately, I'm ready for Bonnie to be ready to have her settings weaned.)  Please pray for patience for me and that I can just appreciate these days with my daughter calmly and comfortably resting (usually--she does show her feisty side every now and then).  Also please continue to pray that Bonnie won't have any complications from the ECMO.  Pray for wisdom and discernment for her medical team and her *wonderful* nurses, that they would make sound and well thought out decisions on what to do and when.

And one more prayer request.  A dear friend of the family lost his precious son Avery very suddenly about a week ago.  He was only 16 months old, and his little brother is due to be born in July.  Please pray for comfort for his sweet parents.