i'm really not sure if one is a subset of another or if the pleural effusion led to the pleural space empyema but empyema is what the docs have been calling what they needed to take care of with the surgical procedure. haven't seen the incisions yet but they said they would make three incisions that would allow them to insert tubes through the rib cage to access the pleural space. one of the tubes would be a video camera which would allow the surgeon to see what he was doing as he removed the pus and fluids that was filling he cavity and collapsing the munchkin's left lung. while she was under anesthesia they also inserted a chest tube and a central line for her IV. the surgeon said the procedure would take about 1.5 to 2 hrs and sure enough he came out to talk to use just after the 2 hr mark to let us know the procedure was completed and went as expected. she's recovery in the pediatrics intensive care unit (PICU) post-op and doing pretty well. they say she may have to spend up to a week in the hospital. the chest tube obviously needs to come out and they'll do that once the drainage stops. she still has her pneumonia with fluid in her lung which they are treating with stronger antibiotics but once the bacteria is killed she needs to expel the fluid from her lung herself by coughing it up. the coughing seems to be causing her pain right now but hopefully as she starts to recover from the surgery she'll be able to knock the pneumonia out as well and by the time she's released from the hospital she'll be her old self. at this point she's doing well. she's starting to get her appetite back and we're starting to move her around a little bit to try and get her left lung back into action.
the wife and i keep wondering if there was something we could have done differently but a number of the doctors and nurses we've spoken to have mentioned that what the munchkin is going through is not uncommon and ultimately it was just bad luck. when she was first diagnosed with pneumonia the usual antibiotic they prescribe is amoxicillin since they don't want to start with anything stronger because they tell us the body tends to build up a resistance to antibiotics.
so, i'm home briefly to recharge while the wife is at the hospital. as of today...
nights at the hospital: 2, going onto the 3rd
just when we thought the munchkin was over the hump and on the road to recovery we've run into a major detour. turns out the current strain of bacterial pnuemonia going around is resistant to the antibiotic that she was taking. while the antibiotic appeared to take care of her fever it didn't kill of the bacteria which got into her chest and caused the pleural effusion. well, in order to drain the fluid in the chest cavity they need to do a surgical procedure, a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). the munchkin had to spend the night at the hospital and they took her into the OR this morning. supposed to be about an hour and a half procedure and hopefully after this she can get back onto the road to a full recovery.
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from the ritz-carlon, laguna niguel site:
"Once again this year, the pastry team gives new meaning to “decorate your home for the holiday.” The life-size Gingerbread House returns as a centerpiece of the resort’s holiday decorations. This year, the Gingerbread House will highlight a Southern California beach front holiday. It takes approximately 15 pastry chefs working for two weeks and a team of hotel engineers working more than 100 hours to complete and decorate the Gingerbread House. The house features gingerbread bricks, icing mortar and hundreds of assorted candy decorations. Once complete, the smell of the gingerbread adds to the holiday décor at the resort."
