Chapter 19 - Reducing Sedation
I pressed my hands against the glass door, watching every movement inside the room.
David stood on the left side of the bed, holding Leo's small right hand.
Dr. Aris adjusted the digital controls on the IV pump, decreasing the dosage of propofol.
"We are turning down the medicine now," Dr. Aris told David.
"It will take fifteen to twenty minutes for his body to metabolize it."
"We are looking for spontaneous breathing, coughing, or eye movement."
Minutes ticked by on the wall clock like agonizing hours.
The ventilator continued its steady, mechanical cadence: hiss, click, hiss, click.
Ten minutes passed. Leo remained motionless.
"Come on, Leo," I whispered through the glass, tears hot on my cheeks. "Come back."
At fourteen minutes, Leo's left foot twitched beneath the light blanket.
David gasped, leaning closer to his son's face.
"Leo? Leo, can you hear Daddy?"
Leo's eyelids fluttered, straining against the heavy weight of the drugs.
A sudden, sharp alarm sounded on the ventilator monitor.
The machine was detecting an obstacle.
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Leo was trying to take a breath on his own.
"He's initiating breaths," Dr. Aris announced quickly. "Nurse, prepare for extubation."
