Inspired...

..by this child whom I am allowed to call mine. She amazes me. Her strength and determination puts mine to shame. What a beautiful little person He created when He formed our sweet Ashely Kate.


She is sitting up (while on the ventilator) playing and behaving as though none of this has phased her. So what if she can't breathe on her own. Who cares if she has 2 chest tubes coming out of her side. Fluid on her lungs? She doesn't care today. She was bored and decided to do something about it. I wish you could see her playing.

I read something this morning. "Where there is hope there can be faith. Where there is faith miracles can occur." What a testament to our God! Because we have hope in Him we have our faith. Because I rest assured He is who He says and He does what He says my faith is strong enough to believe He is working another miracle in our Ashley.

I'm going to try and explain a little better the whole chylothorax issue. This is what I read.

A chylothorax is the build up of chyle, a milky white fluid in the space surrounding the lungs. This makes it difficult to breathe.

Chyle is a normal fluid produced in the bowel when we digest food. It is milky-colored when fatty food or drink is digested. The chyle fluid is carried around the body by lymphatic vessels. These are much like the network of blood vessels throughout your body. The lymphatic system carries fluid, fats, proteins and infection fighting cells.

The lungs are surrounded by several layers of a protective lining called the pluera. Fluids can collect between the pleura layers(the pleura space). A chylothorax happens when the lymphatic system starts leaking fluid into the pleural space. The fluid pushes on the lung, making it harder to breathe.

If surgery or a procedure on the chest has been performed a lymph vessel may have been injured by surgical instruments or by muscles being moved.

Treatment:
Doctors can drain a chylothorax by temporarily inserting a chest tube(which Ash already has and is thought to have caused it). Another way to remove the fluid is by inserting a needle into the space around the lungs. The fluid is pulled out through the needle into a syringe. Once the amount of chyle and fluid begins to taper off and dry up the chest tube will be removed. This may take a little time. Sometimes these treatments may not clear up the chylothorax at which time your docotrs will discuss other options.

So this morning we think the fluid has already begun to change color and consistency with the formula change. The amount is still fairly high, but we are thankful for the small changes we already see.

Ash doesn't even look like she belongs here anymore. Her color has returned. She is awake and alert. Obviously she is weak and shakey, but remove that breathing tube and those chest tubes and she looks like her happy little self. She even has a hair bow on today. Our hope is to remain strong in our faith today and to allow God to work miracles because of it. I'm holding on to that.


She remains on essentially no support from the vent. She is on the lowest settings possible, but there are no plans to make changes. They hope to try and remove the tube this weekend again. After seeing how it went last Sunday I am more nervous than ever about leaving for home on Friday. Again, we have to remain strong in our faith because of the hope we have that He will work more miracles in her life.

I hope you all have a blessed day. I'll share some pictures of her playing later on today. Take care. Trish