Ups and Downs

We are plugging away, each day having more progress.  On the Urology side, we are moving slowly and cautiously to make sure things continue to go the right direction.  But the rest of her recovery is improving more quickly.  Her stats have been perfect.  She has been mostly pain free for the last two days and they have been tapering down her pain meds.  We have also graduated to a full food diet now, but easing it in.  Today she had choc milk, yogurt, and a few bites of mac and cheese.  Plus water and juice.  Shes much happier now!  But still having to lay in bed for who knows how long, I guess till we get to the progress Dr G wants.  I do not want to rush anything, so we will patiently wait and heal.

I'm getting less and less down time.  She is awake most the day, except for a good midday nap.  So I entertain her the best I can but we are watching a lot of TV and movies.  Yesterday the Child Life girls came by and did play dough and made bracelets. They also did a music and color time.  It was great.  I'm not that great.  I'll talk with her, show her pictures. read her a book. but other than that I don't get too creative.  It's a lot of busy work too.  I'm constantly helping her adjust the way she's laying, cleaning up little poops, helping her drink or eat, putting a blanket on when she's cold or off when she's hot. etc. . . It's endless.  There's also just little things that are hard, like changing her dressings.  She's got issues with tape or bandaids.  She HATES getting them removed, the tape pulls her arm hair out and it hurts, but she also has a lot of anxiety about it.  So she will scream at all of us and tell us we are mean for making her do it.  And as much as we don't want to, we have to.  So me and the nurses have to hold her down for those changes, and I hate doing that!

The days are starting to blur together.  Yesterday I was walking down to the cafeteria to get breakfast and heard someone say "happy friday", and I was like, "oh it's friday??!"  And the weekends are ghost town around here so the days are dragging.  But as much I can complain about how much this stinks, things could be so much worse.  Nothing like staying at the hospital for 2 weeks to give you some perspective.  I've seen all kinds of people with all kinds of disabilities or sickness. My sympathy and humility grows so much when I'm here.  I feel a sort of connection with these other families. We have all been put in these situations with no choice but to be strong and power through.

Here's her Beanie Boos that she plays with everyday.  Her collection is growing because we've gotten a few more in the mail from family and friends. We do this a couple times a day.

Chocolate Milk, YUM!

Attempted to wash her hair, or dreadlocks I should say.  It's still so tangled in the back, it's a work in progress.