June 12 Update: A few changes, but visitation is still not advised.

Ari is still very tired, and we have been advised to expect periods of brief alertness, but then her brain will shut down because it needs rest.  Amy and Mick visited and she seemed to be looking through them at first... but then smiled at Mick with recognition in her eyes.

She is/was on a drug called Dilaudid, which is a powerful narcotic pain reliever.  They are slowly weaning her from that so that she can be more aware, and will be giving her codeine through her feeding tube to keep her comfortable.  They will resume the Dilaudid if her pain is not controlled with the codeine.  You may be wondering what is causing her pain... that would be the different conditions/devices I'll describe in the next few paragraphs.

She cannot talk due to the tracheostomy  (instead of being "intubated" via mouth, she has had a surgical procedure to place the tube directly in her throat) .  She is still on the ventilator to assist with breathing.  Her pneumonia has improved, and she seems to be breathing better (and looks better) than she has.

Ari is getting a permanent groin catheter with an IVC filter that will help catch any blood clots that may form, since she never got to a therapeutic dosage of the blood thinner that her care team had tried when the pulmonary embolus was first detected.

She had a new EVD placed (this is the drain that is helping relieve fluid pressure on her brain, known as hydrocephalus).  The old one had gotten clogged, and she still has some swelling in the ventricles of her brain since her body is not regulating the absorption of cerebrospinal fluid well right now.

Ari is still in isolation, and visitation is NOT advised at this point.  If she can get the rest she needs to allow her body to heal, we can see her sooner.  She is in ICU, so she cannot receive flowers, gifts, etc.

The conditions keeping Ari in ICU right now are the hydrocephalus/brain drain (EVD) and her need for the very strong pain medicine.  Once she can graduate from the Dilaudid and the EVD, we hope to have more regular updates of progress for you.

Thanks so much to everyone who is concerned and praying for Arianne.  We are trying our best to keep updates posted for you... we understand very much that you look forward to news of progress.

--Kasey