BIG NEWS!!
The other night, as I was preparing Keira for bed and hooking her up to her pulse ox monitor, I realized our medical equipment company sent us the wrong leads to the monitor.  I was annoyed, but had no choice but to try the new leads out.  The original leads wrapped around her entire foot, this type of lead only wraps around her big toe.  I tucked Keira in and went downstairs.  When I came back up hours later to tuck myself in, I noticed that Keira had pulled her O2 out of her nose.  It is getting to be more and more difficult to keep the cannula in her nose. She would much rather use it as a teether.  Instead of hooking her back up, I decided to let her sleep without so that I could record just how long she could sleep without O2 assistance.  You see, we had an appointment with CHOP the next day and I thought it might be good information to bring to them.  Well, guess what?  She went the ENTIRE NIGHT without desatting at all!  As a matter of fact, every time I checked on her in the night (and it is many times....I'm neurotic), she was around 98%.  I was very excited to tell her pulmonary doctors at CHOP that morning, but was a little confused why all of a sudden she was able to do it, when just a couple nights before she desatted all night long even while ON the O2.

So we arrived at CHOP bright and early in the morning and I told Dr. Fiorino all about the night without O2 when it dawned on me what was so different about last night....the new pulse ox lead!  Dr. F said that is probably exactly what made the difference.  Keira had outgrown the old lead style and this new lead was getting a much better read on her blood saturation levels.  She said it is probably likely that Keira has been ready to be O2 free for awhile now, but the false alarms were making it appear as if she was still having problems.  Why she didn't ever mention this possibility all the times I called her upset about the number of alarms in the night I'll never know, but the big picture is that we very well might be off O2 very soon!  The plan is to keep Keira off the O2 and see how long she can go without showing signs of respiratory distress.  

Last night we again tucked Keira in for the night without O2 and I am very proud to say she did just fine!  If this continues until Monday when I've been instructed to call the doctor, Keira will be off the oxygen for good!  Keep your fingers crossed.........and toes too!