One Step Closer!

Craft Girl

Mercy's Door

She's Outta Here!

Joy got her smile back!

Dr. Rodriguez, The Pain Guy!

Little milestones each day, get us closer to getting out of here. Joy got her foley cath out (Pee pee tube). It was causing her sever pain as something wasn't right. She hadn't been out of bed cause it hurt to much to even move her leg. Her little eyes would bug out of her head and tears would just roll down her cheeks when she moved or someone touched it. But once it was out you could see the life in her come back. Getting her out of bed is an ordeal since she has so many tubes coming out of her. There is a Chest Drain, NG Tube, IV in her leg, monitor sensor on her finger and 3 pads stuck to her chest with sensors that unplug. But she did get out of bed and sat in the chair for awhile. Some doctors saw her including her favorite... Dr. Rodriguez, the Pain Guy! They have so many teams of doctors here. There is the Ped. Surgical team, the Pain Management team, the Respiratory team, Pharmacy team and I am sure I am forgetting others. Then there are the nurses and PCA's who switch every 12 hours working from 7 to 7. All have been great!
Joy was also complaining of her incision hurting so Dr. Rodriguez was trying to determine if it was pain they could do something about. He was trying to explain about epidurals and the types of pain it can block. Like outer skin sensors or deeper interior sensors. She has an epidural block from just under the collar bone to just above the belly button. It is amazing how a little stick in the spine at just the right place can give such a specific area of blockage. Mercy's fell out a day before they were planning on removing it but hers was further down since she had a lower incision. Dr. Toyin did a great job in localizing it and the pain guys do a great job managing it.
Joy then got up and walked (at a brisk pace I might add) all the way around the floor. Mercy has been up and walking around quite a bit too and she can go around twice on the floor. She has been doing alot of crafts that are provided by the Child Life playroom. They also watch alot of movies. Joy's favorite is "The Sound of Music" and Mercy has been watching "EverAfter" several times. They have a library on the 16th floor that we borrow movies from.
They both have swallow studies tomorrow sometime and will determine if they can have ice cream tomorrow. They are very excited about this of course!!!