Sprint Trials

A couple of weeks ago, Kai had trach/vent clinic.  It's a clinic where he sees several specialists in one visit---ENT, pulmonology, dietitian, general specialized pediatrics, and occasionally genetics and orthopedics.  Kai used to have trach/vent every six months, but since he is doing so well, he has been relegated to once a year.  We still see the specialists throughout the year for one-on-one visits, but it is really nice to have the whole team on board for his care plan.  Trust me, communication between doctors doesn't always happen, and miscommunication happens very frequently.  In fact, as of trach/vent clinic they still had recorded that Kai has a cuffed trach (he's never had a cuff).

At his latest trach/vent clinic, it was the consensus that because he has been doing well, and with the Magec rods having opened up his chest, that we would be able to start Sprint Trials.  A sprint trial is where we take him off the ventilator for a period of time daily!  Whoohoo! --and completely scary for this momma who remembers very vividly the blue spells before the vent.  We will start at five minutes twice a day for a week, then 10 minutes for a week, then 15, 20, 30, etc, all the way up to 4 hours a day.  Since he rides the vent at night, it's unlikely at this point that he will come off the vent while sleeping. 

Today was the first day.  I was a bundle of nerves, and waited until J. was home and the girls in bed so that I could focus solely on Kai (who is supposed to be monitored very closely during these trials anyway).  I didn't go as far as to pull out the ambu bag (but it's always an arms-length away from his bed).  Everything went smoothly.  Kai's heart-rate jumped up a little, but he was also wiggling around and trying to get the pulse-ox probe off his foot.

His sats were beautiful--all completely on his own--no machines or extra oxygen!  As we get farther into the sprint trials oxygen will most likely be needed, but day one was a success!