Breathing Issues

Alicia has had a harder time breathing the last couple days, and we've had a number of different medical approaches thrown at us in that time. Yesterday we were told about dexamethasone, a steroid which would reduce inflammation in her lungs and help her avoid having to go back on a ventilator, which she had been off since noon Saturday. Dexamethasone used to be given in large doses and was thought to increase the risk of cerebral palsy and other neurological problems, but is still believed to be safe in small doses.

Fast forward to this morning, when the decision was made to put her back on the ventilator. I'm guessing she was having to struggle more than they were comfortable with. So the steroid becomes moot at this point. Her heart murmur is also louder this morning, and her doctor believes correcting it with surgery could help her do better. We are waiting for the results of an echocardiogram and a blood culture (to look for infection) before we know what happens next. We'll write more when we know more. Wanted you to be praying.