just out of O.R.

Elizabeth had her bronchoscopy/laryngoscopy this morning. The surgeon took a look inside her airway and particularly at her graft site. Please keep praying because the graft is not taking as well as it should. It should be covered in a pink mucos membrane by this time and it is only partially covered. You can still see the white rib cartilage and some granulation tissue growing on it. The granulation tissue can potentially cause a problem if too much of it grows it would obstruct her airway. Granulation tissue is a normal part of healing, but they don't want too much of it in the airway. Elizabeth will go back to the O.R. next Monday, August 4 for another brochoscopy/laryngoscopy to see if the healing is happening correctly. If they don't like what they see, she will be admitted for more procedures. For now, she is sleeping at the Ronald McDonald House and we will drive home tonight. If she feels anything different in her breathing or swallowing we have to bring her right back down here. It's a 4 hour drive, but Dr. Cotton feels that it's safe to go home for a week.