Ainsley Failed Extubation

As most of you know, today was the day Ainsley was to be extubated. Unfortunately when the tube was removed she still had difficulty getting enough air through her upper airway. The ENT specialists looked with a scope and found the swelling was even worse than it was previously. Probably due to the infection she has. They re-intubated and will finish the course of antibiotics she’s been getting. They will try taking it out again mid next week but it’s likely that they will end up doing a tracheotomy. Her condition seems to be puzzling to the doctors and even the specialists. They are unsure of why the airway is so swollen. It’s possible it’s just from the tube itself. As we’ve said, she’s got a strong drive to breathe and is able to do so, so long as the tube is keeping the airway open. So it does seem that eventually this will work itself out. For now, it looks like we’ll be at Children’s for quite a while longer.