2 days in emergency rooms, 19 days in ICU, 17 days on a ventilator, 1 day off of ventilator. So we have made good progress, swallow test went well this morning, much better than yesterday, if it goes well tomorrow Phoebe will be cleared to eat ice chips. The hard part is she is thirsty and hungry and all we can do is wait day by day. Her right foot where the sepsis originated is looking very good, swelling is pretty much gone and the incisions from the surgery to drain the fluid off are healing nicely with no signs of infection, she will have 3 scars from the surgery as the wounds were left open to heal on their own as opposed to potentially trapping in the infection. We are celebrating the small wins and praising God for all he is doing in our lives.
Next steps on our journey. First would be to get on solid food. Second get out of ICU, this will probably require an evaluation of the infection and determination of no longer having sepsis. Thirdly we need a plan for what comes next, rehabilitation center or short term skilled nursing center. So conversations with the case manager, checking what, where, and who the insurance will cover to ensure Phoebe gets the best treatment our insurance will cover. Then the recovery, estimates I have read are that for each day a patient is on a ventilator expect at least 1 week of recovery and rehabilitation. So a conservative outlook would be at least 17 weeks to recover.
So that is were we currently stand, still have to work out the financial impact. There are deductibles, co-pays, Out of Pocket Maximums, to be met. Then we get into ancillary expenses such as meals, gas, etc. so all in all a very expensive July.
Once again thank you to everyone for their prayers, warm wishes. We are eternally gratefully.