Great day today! Riza had several tests of breathing without the machine: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour. She passed them all with flying colors.
On the one hour, she was doing so well they just let it go. Jan, the Respiratory Therapist finally put her back on after more than two hours. There is talk of extubating tomorrow.
The whole day was good. Besides breathing, she now seems to be regulating her blood pressure, temperature, and ICP on her own. All week the ICP would build, and the nurses would drain fluid to get it down. Today, it would build but she would be able to reaccept enough of the fluid to bring it down. The drainings were far less frequent and less severe.
There is a belief that both tubes have to come out at the same time. I wouldn’t complain.
Also, today was full of eyes opening and hand squeezing without the increased pressure that typically accompanies them. A very good day.