The long morning turned into a long afternoon. Before I knew it, the sun was down.

Becky needs to stay another night in the PICU.

Becky returned from the MRI asleep and comfortable. She settled in for a long nap. When she awoke, her breathing was increasingly labored and she was making harsh, stridulous sounds. Melissa, her nurse today, had noticed both of these things intermittently as they waited for the MRI. Dr. Sherman was consulted and the decision was made to observe Becky again overnight.

Stridor is a high-pitched sound that indicates a narrowing or obstruction in the upper airway. Since that is where her laryngeal cleft was repaired, this likely indicates inflammation due to the surgery. Curiously, her breathing was normal and there were no unusual noises yesterday. The team would have expected this immediately after surgery. But Becky is developing this a good 24-hours after the procedure. They don’t want to discharge her before confirming that it won’t get any worse.

Becky was in good spirits and enjoyed some baby food. Served on a tray just like the big kid meals. The glass jar resting on a saucer was a nice touch. The spoons were a wee bit large.

Surgery Sue stopped by after her shift and enjoyed feeding Becky.

Becky spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out the new thing on her left arm. And getting in a few good licks. Melissa wrapped it up tightly, trying to protect the precious IV line.

By the evening, her breathing continued to get louder and more labored. The intensivist spoke with Dr. Sherman and decided to give Becky a breathing treatment as well as a single dose of steroids. Hopefully this helps her settle down and rest.

As I left the hospital for the short walk to the RMH, I looked back and saw Becky’s window. The lights were dimmed. Hopefully, it will be a silent night.