Progress - In Baby Steps

(Literally.)

The Blonde One had a rough night again last night. He had reached for a glass of water and sent his pain level from a 1 (on a scale of 1-10) to a 9. There was some concern that he had dislocated the bar that had been put in his chest, so they did a quick x-ray. Fortunately everything was still in place and they determined that he had just pulled a muscle.

The Little Guy, the Wildcard, and I went up to the hospital this morning and arrived just as the Blonde One finished taking his morning walk. This time he had gone out of the room and about 20 yards down the hall before turning and coming back. It was slow going, but he did it!

Once he was back in bed, they removed the epidural...he was SO glad to see that thing go. They switched him over to morphine through the IV for the next day or two, then once he gets on oral pain meds he can come home. Stephanie, the Wonder Nurse, said it may be as early as Wednesday. We're keeping our fingers crossed here....

He was much more alert and awake than ever. Before today, our conversations consisted of me asking him questions (How are you feeling? Did you eat anything? Has the doctor been in?) and him giving one-word answers. It was more like an interrogation than a conversation. Today he actually spoke in complete sentences and asked some questions of his own.

Oh, and he ate something too! Okay, okay, it was only dry Fruit Loops, but at least it was a start.

After a nap (the Blonde One, not me....and certainly not the Little Guy!!), he went for another walk. This time the Little Guy wanted to walk too, so I had to hold his fingers while he raced his brother down the hallway. The only difference was that when it was all over the Little Guy wanted to do it again and the Blonde One wanted a nap.

He seemed to be handling the transition from the epidural drugs to the IV drugs, so once he fell asleep we left. We had been there about four hours....a very long time for a busy 9 m/o.

Oh, and when I got back to the MomVan there was a parking ticket on my windshield!! Parking at Tripler is ridiculous. Unless you have the patience - which I don't - to troll the parking lot waiting for someone to leave, your only option is to park illegally on the grass. Everyone did it. Everyone got a ticket. Fortunately military tickets are free - they just notify your Commanding Officer. The Hubster will probably be counseled on why he shouldn't park on the grass....

Anyway, when the Hubster stopped by in the evening, the Blonde One had been disconnected from a few more wires. He is now down to an IV and a heart/lung monitor. He hadn't eaten any lunch, and was still deciding if there was anything worthwhile on the dinner tray. He was still very alert and had taken a third walk that afternoon.

Tomorrow I am going up there in the morning after dropping the Wildcard off at school. I'll have to battle rush-hour traffic, but hopefully I can get there early enough to find a legal parking space....

Thank you all for the prayers and good thoughts!