re: #252 Shug

and ECMO machines don’t grow on trees

ECMO machines are hell on the system. Infants can handle it for about 21 days, then they HAVE to get off of it. Their organs will start shutting down if they don’t. Adults last longer, but overall survival once you go on ECMO is about 60%.

I got really close to this young man who needed heart surgery, great kid about 11. We played cards before the docs came for him. I hung around for a while and then had to take off - had a meeting. Came back that night and learned he had come out of surgery on ECMO.

That just tears you up.