Good Monday morning to everyone from PA. It has been a low-key 24 hours here at CHOP for Aaron. Even though we desire fast improvement, we will settle for slow steady improvement, too. Aaron has had a pretty good 24 hours. They have not yet taken him off the ventilator, but we anticipate he will be ready today. Yesterday, he was having some trouble breathing and the doctors (actually, a very smart nurse) noticed his chest tube drainage was suspiciously low. They checked the tubes and found clots on both sides that were preventing fluid from draining out of the space around his lungs. After his pleural space was drained, he felt SO much better and his heart rate and breathing became much more comfortable.

The plan as we understand it is to let Aaron rest and see how his heart and lungs do for the next couple of days–to get his body back to where it was before the assault of the heart cath. Then they will evaluate the need for another surgery to close the two holes that were left in his heart after his surgery. Please continue to pray that God will close the holes and alleviate the need for another surgery for our precious child.

Love to all.