Half a Step Back

Looks like our jubilation about getting Grace onto the regular ventilator may have been premature. She was working too hard at maintaining her oxygen levels and not breathing out enough carbon dioxide so they have switched her to a ventilator called the "jet". This ominously named device is supposed to provide a little more pressure so that her lungs will ventilate better, but should be gentle enough to not damage her developing lungs.
I guess this is just part of the roller coaster ride and we remain encouraged at her overall improvement so far. It is hard not to get swallowed up in the whirlpool of little problems. Each little change in her numbers seems potentially catastrophic to us. Plus, we know just enough to be really dangerous. In reality, if we take a step back and see where we have come in less than a week, then she really has made substantial progress. We just have to get used to the idea that it may be months before she comes home and she has many mountains to climb. A slip or two is to be expected.