Yay, there is an update on the post-surgical recovery of Fox News correspondent Catherine Herridge and baby Peter--and it's directly from Catherine herself, via "On The Record" host Greta Van Susteren's GretaWire blog! Here's Catherine's email to Greta, posted on FoxNews.com today:
Hello from Pittsburgh!
We are spending all our time in the ICU with Peter. The nurses have nicknamed him "happy" because he is smiling so much now. Recovery is not a straight line, so we have some days when Peter makes terrific progress and others where he slips back. Peter has now been "extubated" (that means the breathing tube has been taken out of his lungs). This is a major step forward. He still has some breathing support from a thin tube that lies under his nose. Of course, Peter being Peter, he expends a lot of baby effort trying to pull it off!
I have a lot of respect for the ICU doctors. The day Peter started breathing on his own, he had severe withdrawal from the pain and sedation medication he had been on. So severe, that his heart rated dropped in half. The doctors, especially Dr. Shakar, stayed calm and helped Peter get through this. It seemed like the longest hour of my life. They didn't give up on him and they didn't do the easy thing either, which would have been to put his breathing tube back in. We are so grateful for their grace under pressure.
To deal with the withdrawal, Peter is now on methadone. Apparently, this is pretty common with transplant kids. My husband and I try to make light of it, by telling Peter we will help him "kick his habit" when he's better!...
I don't know how these doctors come in every day. The kids in an ICU are so very sick and many of them won't make it. But these teams give it their best shot every day, for families they have never met before, it's an amazing thing.
As for his liver, this is a critical time...
Read on... and please keep praying! Even though we have never met them, Catherine and Peter are on the prayer list of my parents' small church in rural Pennsylvania, because I believe every little bit helps.
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