20 December 2010



After the bronchioscope



Jereth had his first procedure requiring sedation today. Although the procedure went well, the aftermath was scary.

To prepare for a bronchioscope where a doctor looks at his airway with a tiny camera all the way down to his lungs, Jereth's feeds were stopped at 5:00 am. He was a very sweet boy for having an empty tummy all day long. I held him most of the day and he slept quite well.

The ventilator set-up

Finally they were ready to do the procedure at 8:00 pm. The doctor and the anesthesiologist visited with me before he went to the operating room. We discussed the permission I had given for the doctor to remove excess cartilage in Jereth's larynx if he felt it was needed.

When they wheeled Jereth out of the operating room and back to his room he looked fine. The anesthesiologist was giving him air with a mask and air bag while waiting to get Jereth hooked back up to the high-flow air he's been on. However, when they made the switch Jereth had difficulties.



Resting with the ventilator



While the doctor was explaining the procedure to me and sharing the pictures he took, Jereth started to act like he was choking, and his skin color changed. The anesthesiologist noticed it the same time I did and began to act quickly to get air going through Jereth's lungs again.

When all was said and done and the excitement was over, Jereth was put on a ventilator and will stay on it for a day or so, until he can breathe well on his own with just the high-flow oxygen.

I was grateful that the doctors were still in the room when the difficulties began because they were able to quickly and decisively do what was needed to save Jereth's life.