First, thank you, everyone, for your prayers for Melissa. You touch my heart. She's home from the hospital now, but not quite out of the woods. So, please keep her in your prayers.
Again, when they were extubating her while still in the surgery suite, she had an esophagus spasm that completely closed her trachea. With her trachea closed, 'a lot of fluid' back-washed into both lungs, in other words aspirated. Something we all know about and fear, but for different reasons.
Because they had to 'force' the tube out, it tore/injured tissue in her airway, which caused bleeding and swelling. Also bit her tongue hard during the spasm. Poor girl, her tongue alone looks like it hurts like heck.
The doctors working with her adamantly refused to start her on any kind of antibiotic treatment which frustrated me beyond words that are appropriate for this site. Seemed like common sense to me. Lungs with 'a lot of fluid' are prone to pneumonia, right? But the wouldn't budge. Said nature's way of taking care of the problem was to cough, cough, cough it up over several hours, which she did. As well as coughing up blood from damaged tissue in her airway.
They treated her overnight with an IV drip of Prednisone to reduce the swelling/inflammation and gave her several nebulizer treatments. Also kept her on an oxygen mask which was mostly off due to her constant coughing, which was actually a good thing.
She was a very miserable young lady yesterday and I was one scared Mom. Seriously scared. I've not been that scared about anything in years and years and years.
So she's home with a pain med and anti-inflammatory (but no antibiotic; cripes!; that worries me). Should she experience any chest pain at all, I'm to call 911 immediately and not try to get someone to drive her to an E.R. Embolism precaution. Also, should she develop a fever, the plan is the same. She's seeing her internist on Friday to make sure her lungs are clear of fluid.
Between us and our malaligned hips, we've had over 20 surgeries over the past 10 years. Seriously. Neither of us even blink about surgery anymore. We're pro's at it. Know what to expect before, during, after.
But THIS was crazy; totally unexpected. It scared the wits out of me.
Again, thank you all for your very kind words, prayers and compassion.
Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas.
Love,
Judy
Frustrated! No one knows for sure what my husband has. 
The struggle is over, the fight was difficult the warrior strong.
This is a final update of my Mother in-law has PSP
Heaven has another angel
