Monday, May 3, 2010, 10:00 pm
My friend Carolyn told me that she was going to mentally change my updates to Christopher's Rehab/Recovery. I liked that. I liked it enough to make it official.
Today was a big day... Christopher moved out of the ICU and into Rehab! When I arrived at the hospital at 9 am, he and Paul were waiting for me in the cafeteria. It was great to see him out and about in his wheelchair. It wasn't more than a couple minutes after I arrived though, that he began getting restless and asking us to take him home. He vacillated between that request and one to get him back to his bed because he was so sleepy. We have discovered that, at least for now, being 'out and about' is too stimulating and very stressful for Christopher. Back in bed in the ICU and after several hours of examinations by doctors, physical therapy and endless begging to be taken home, he finally fell asleep. Whenever he woke up, the agitation began and he never did give up his desire to go home. He simply can't understand why he is in the hospital. The IV in his foot failed this morning and they had to put a new one in, so he now believes that he is in the hospital because he has a broken foot. If only.... (photo of Chris and one of his PICU nurses, Lily)
The move up one floor to Rehab took place at 3:00 pm and was relatively uneventful. He is sharing a room with another boy who is 12 years old and his mother is a lovely woman who has been so helpful. The 'transition' from ICU to Rehab is not really a transition. It's more like culture shock! While I wanted more than anything for my son to be well enough to leave the high intensity of the ICU, I would much prefer a gentler, kinder transition. He has a wonderful nurse on the floor named Catherine and an aide named Bryan, who swept in like an angel this evening when I desperately needed assistance with something. But I really liked having Sara, or Sarah, or Lily, or Claire, or Autumn, or Elise, or Leanora, or Reggie from the PICU, sitting at the foot of his bed, watching him more closely than I ever dreamed possible. I would rather have Dr. Matt, or Dr. Gayle or Dr. Newman roaming the ICU, stopping by throughout the day and night, perusing Christopher's chart, checking in with me to see how he's doing. Always available to answer my endless array of questions, I will miss them all so very much...(photo of Chris, Dr. Matt and I in the PICU)
I am pretty much on my own when it comes to the care of Christopher. I wasn't expecting that. I am on my own when he needs to go to the bathroom. I wasn't expecting that. I am on my own when his bedding needs to be changed. I wasn't expecting that. I am on my own when he needs to eat. I am not used to that. I am on my own when it comes to calming him. I am not used to that. I will be on my own when he awakens in the middle of the night (and he will awaken). I am prepared for that. I know his sleep will be disturbed at 3:00 am for him to take his meds orally. I am prepared for that. I alone will calm him and explain to him (about a million times...again!) why I cannot just go get the car and drive him home. I am expecting that. Oh how quickly I can adjust. I have no choice, but to adjust, and I am very quickly find myself doing just that. I must admit that deep down inside, way deep down, beyond my mental, emotional and physical exhaustion, I am thrilled that my little man is now well enough for me to be responsible for his care. This is what we have all been praying for...This must be what they (the doctors and nurses) meant when they told us to get our rest while he was in the ICU...
Love, Laura
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