As many of you know, Casey was taken to the UCLA Medical Center on Monday after having difficulty breathing. They admitted and gave her oxygen while they waited for xrays and test results, which showed that she had an infection in her chest. Pneumonia has always been the biggest risk for children with severe HIE and reflux like Casey, so we were very concerned.
Over the last few days, her health got rapidly worse, and she is now on a ventilator with what is called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This is very serious, and the antibiotics and other drugs need to help clear her infection soon, although right now they have to use more generalized antibiotics due to none of the bacterial-type tests coming back positive.
We are staying with Casey all day and night, taking turns coming home for naps, which isn’t too far away. She is heavily sedated as they are trying to keep her as comfortable as possible with all the procedures they are having to do. She has always been a tough little girl, and this is no exception. It always amazes us how strong she is with every visit to the doctors.
I have taken off work this week and will most likely need to put in for an extended leave or modified schedule, as it is unlikely that she will be discharged in the next 1-2 weeks. We won’t be on email too much, so leaving a message on one of our cell phones will be the best way for us to get back to you.
Please keep Casey in your thoughts and prayers, and we will update as often as possible here.