Angry, uncomfortable Zoe

Today, Zoe was moved from the CICU to the CCU. When we saw her this morning, we could immediately tell that her head was more swollen than yesterday. A swollen head, of course, means increased headaches and discomfort. Zoe is much harder to console today, which is to be expected, given how she feels. We were told that she didn't eat as well overnight, which again is probably a result of how crappy she feels.

Throughout the morning and into this afternoon, her eating has remained sporadic and it's quite clear that Ms. Zoe feels miserable. The goals today remain - pain management, keep fluid off the lungs, and wean from the oxygen. The doctors in the CCU are adjusting the various pain meds of Tylenol, Oxycodone, and Morphine to find the right balance to make Zoe comfortable. We are trying to avoid the Morphine because it causes constipation, which gives rise to a whole new set of issues.

Also, Zoe's body decided that this week would be an appropriate time to teethe. Today also seems to be one of her more uncomfortable teething days. The Tylenol should help with that.

She seems to be retaining more fluid today, which may explain the increased puffiness in her head. To address that, the docs have increases her Lasix, in an attempt to balance out her fluids by equalizing her liquid input v. output.

Most importantly, the focus today is on pain management and helping Ms. Zoe feel better, which will allow her to get some rest. But between her swollen head, teething, scarred chest, and indigestion we have an uphill battle.

We will update more as things change.