Today 1 year ago... bye-bye ventilator

Since the 4th Archie had improved so dramatically that, after 4 days of breathing trials, doctors decided to extubate him.

At 2 pm they stopped his anesthesia. The plan was to do the extubation at 4pm, but when the time came, there was a shortage of staff, so we had to wait. Usually, waiting is OK, but just imagine being completely awake with a tube in your mouth.

4 pm... 5pm... no news from the doctors... Archie was so uncomfortable, he was begging the nurses to find anyone to do it.

Close to 6 pm, they showed up and said that the ICU team was still busy with some emergencies and, that if they didn't come soon, then we'd have to wait until the next day, because they don't do extubations in the evening.

Archie was in tears. Amy and I sit with him, waiting... Nobody can stand such a thing, but Archie could, he did it with concentration. He required silence. My dad had to wait outside.

Every minute I was suffering, hoping that they arrived...

Finally at 8 pm they showed up. The resident who was going to do it (I'll refrain from writing his name here, although I won't forget it for as long as I live) told me in like one minute: "Well, if he fails after we extubate him, do you want to intubate him again? We don't recommend it at all, but it's up to you." I said "yes, do it, he wants everything tried on him." The bastard had the nerve to ask Archie, and he said the same (he told me later). It was not a one-time thing, they did that often: ask me to then ask him anyway to see if we changed our mind and we wanted to die.

Finally around 8:15, they did it!! Yes!!!!

I wish I could go back and make sure they didn't forget his vital medicine a few days later. Yes, wishful thinking from angry me...

I wish there was a God to punish them all, but it is my belief that there is not. Too bad...