OK. I don't want to get too optimistic or too excited here (when you have been speaking every day to a heart surgeon who is extremely cautious you start to get a little pessimistic).
Anyway, it has been more than 36 hours since they took away the artificial heart and lungs Rosie was using. She seems to be doing fine without the help of these machines. She continues to get a little better, and a little stronger, every day. Her kidneys still need a bit of help, so she is using a blood dialysis machine right now to filter out the toxins in her blood. Unlike many of the other procedures she has been put through in the last few days, there are no real dangers to using this piece of equipment.
So, as I said, we have to be cautious. She is not home and dry yet, but she's getting closer and closer. Her kidneys need to start working properly by themselves, then she needs to get fit enough to get out of the ICU, then she needs to come back home to Mummy and Daddy. We still have a little way to go before we get to that stage, but we can now see the faintest of lights at the end of the tunnel, and it is starting to burn a little brighter...
Megumi's version (Japanese) (LINK)
Posted by Gary at July 21, 2004 11:53 PM