Tube is out!

Mallorie's breathing tube was taken out today.  They put her back on CPAP, as she had been on that prior to surgery.  She was intially working a little extra hard to breathe, and the CPAP helped for a little while, but then she started struggling with saliva, and I couldn't get it suctioned out fast enough.  Finally, they got permission from the surgery team to take out the NG tube (going through her nostril down to her stomach, so they could use suction to keep her stomach empty).  Once it was out, she settled down and went to sleep.  NO more problems since. 

That's when we realized, oh, yeah.  She only breathes through her nose, and one nostril had an enormous tube blocking it, and the other is her tiny nostril since she had the cleft repair surgery. 

She's been bathed, moved, moved, moved, changed, picked up (by me) ... :)  She's fine.  She's even wearing a very pretty purple and teal paisley gown on loan from Annabel, because she doesn't seem uncomfortable anymore.  She's only on Tylenol and an IV medication that's sort of like motrin for pain, and it's clearly plenty to manage any residual pain.  Tomorrow I expect the surgery team to say she can have clear liquids, and maybe we can even go out of the PICU to another floor. 

They did some testing from her breathing tube a couple of days ago, and the "rapid flu test" was positive.  So everyone's wearing masks, gloves, gowns.  I suppose she could have it; the hospital is one of the best places to get something like that.  But somehow I doubt it, so I'm waiting on the test that takes a few days and is more accurate, before I'm convinced that she does or doesn't have it.  The nice thing is they are treating her "as if," and giving her Tamiflu.  Can't hurt.  I have a crazy habit of putting Blistex on Malloire's lips and then when I'm done, I rub the extra on mine.  That's about the only thing I'm changing right now.  Oh, and I kiss her knee instead of her face.  But that's only because medical people are watching, you know.  :)   

Thank you all for praying.  God is so good.