Lucy Kate Update VIII

Lucy has been sleeping for the past two days. She was on a very high dosage of sedatives and it has taken a long time to wear off. When she is awake, it's only for a brief moment and she still doesn't quite recognize us or know what is going on yet. As the days go by, she becomes more alert and awake. It will continue to take time for the drugs to completely leave her system, but they have helped to keep her calm through the body's healing process.

We can now begin to hear her little moans and whimpers as her vocal cords continue to heal from the trauma of having a breathing tube. A little more time and she will let the nurses know exactly how she feels.

Lucy's three chest tubes will be taken out today and we will finally be able to hold her again. It's been 11 days now, but it feels like an eternity. Sarah and I are both so excited, we can hardly stand it. Her arterial line that measures constant blood pressure and remaining peripheral IV line will also be removed, because the risk of infection increases the longer those are in.

All of Lucy's tubes and wires are slowly coming out and within the next several days, we'll be moving out of ICU and into the heart center for her last final days of recovery before going home. We're almost there.