I think part of the problem is that we have always had her oxygen saturation numbers to watch as a reference of how well she was doing. Now that those numbers have stabilized, the focus has shifted to the ventilator and out of our comfort zone. The respiratory therapists (RTs) are great at trying to explain the ins-and-outs of the machine, but hearing all about mean airway pressure (MAP), peak-inspiratory-pressure (PIP), and positive-end-expiratory-pressure (PEEP) is enough to make your head spin. Because of this, even though there is progress being made, it feels to be going very slowly.
The good news is that the RTs are happy with her progress, and are almost ready to switch her back onto the conventional ventilator, which is one step closer to extubation. But first, they are going to trial Elyse completely off the nitric oxide today, which was used to help dilate the blood vessels in her lungs and increase blood flow. In order to wean her off it completely, she will be given a dose of sildenafil (yes, Viagara for babies), to encourage her body to kick start it's own production of nitric oxide again. If she tolerates this well, it is a good sign that her lungs are recovering -- fingers crossed and prayers being said that she is ready.
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