CHAPTER EIGHT  UPDATE: FEB. 25, 2004 Dear All,   I'm sorry this update is a bit later than the others, it has been a very busy week and weekend.  Ivy has had another very calm and uneventful week, which is a blessing for us all.  Her original pulmonary doctor has returned to her case and, thankfully, is taking a slower approach to her care.  He is no longer making multiple changes to her ventilator's settings and is allowing Ivy ample time to adjust to changes.   Ivy's ventilator is now set for 85% oxygen instead of 100% and her oxygen saturation remains at 100% which must be an indication that there is some improvement to her lungs.  She has been very tolerant of being turned now as she remains at 100% sats now after being turned (or a slight, momentary drop).  This used to cause her to drop several numbers and take up to 1/2 hour to recover from.   Ivy is no longer being given the paralytics and is allowed to "wake up" as she will.  When she is awake, she communicates with her nurses and us (nods of the head...she can't talk because of the trach).  She doesn't seem to get agitated as often as she used to, which is very good.  Ivy maintains her stats very well.   This morning we have a "family" conference with her doctors to go over Ivy's care and what will be happening in the future.  There was some talk of possibly trying a "body glue" on Ivy's lungs (I don't know anything more than that at this time...it WILL be a question for them).  There is also some talk of transferring her to either UCLA or Cedar Sinai Hospital if surgery is required to repair her right lung.  This is especially terrifying to us as the surgeons at Palomar Hospital were afraid to transfer her from the sixth floor to the fourth for surgery!  Again, something to discuss in detail this morning.    So, while there is no major progress to report, I'm very happy to let you know that there are no new pnuemos, no bad days and most especially, no major setbacks to report!  A very special thanks to everyone who sent a card or e-mail to Ivy.  I will be sending e-mail thanks to you individually as soon as I can, you really deserve it.  I can't possibly express to you how much it means to Kathie, Chris and I that you send her cards and e-mails, but I can tell you that every one of them bring a smile to Ivy's face as I read them to her and tears of gratitude to my eyes as I read them...   Thank you all so very much, for your prayers, well wishes, good vibes and most especially your support and love for Ivy.  God Bless you all.   With My Best Wishes Always   Michael