All About Oxygen/Lung Support

So first, Sydney started out on a ventilator. That was the most invasive option and it involved actually sticking a tube down her throat (intubation) to help her breathe. Intubation is only done when absolutely necessary and when the patient is simply not strong enough to breathe on their own. As the patient gets stronger, the risks of being on the ventilator (bacteria build up in the tubes, damage to airways etc) far outweigh the benefits. When she was on the vent she looked liked this:



That white thing taped to her mouth was holding the tube in place.

When she got stronger, she moved to the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine that gives her air through her nose. Nasal CPAP delivers air into your airway through a specially designed nasal mask or pillows. The mask does not breathe for you; the flow of air creates enough pressure when you inhale to keep your airway open. It is not invasive at all and does not involve putting anything into her body.

On the CPAP she looked like this:



Today they started testing her on the nasal cannula which means she's needs even less breathing support than the CPAP gives her. The cannula is just a simple tube that provides her with oxygen support without the discomfort of the CPAP on her face. She hasn't been taken off the CPAP but she did perfectly for the three hours they had her on the cannula today. This is FANTASTIC news and only means she is getting stronger and her lungs are developing.

Today she looked like this:



You can actually see her face! She's doing so well.