Here's Your Hat

Hello!

Again, no fabulously entertaining post with award-winning photos...just another update on David's status!

Drumroll please...he's home now! Yes, hard to believe, and actually he came home LAST NIGHT. Yes. Friday night! Just 4 days after having his back opened up and worked on, leaving a 9-inch incision to heal. They pushed him right out the door.

Actually, all the doctors and nurses have been VERY nice. Answering questions, apologizing for waking him up all the time, willing to do anything we asked.

But David just met all their requirements, on being able to walk around, walking up stairs, getting off the stronger medication and onto pills, and starting to eat real food. So they said "you can go home!"

He had one set of final xrays, and I asked Frank to get a copy of it. I'll post more of that later.

But the coolest thing is, they took X-rays DURING the operation--! Every 10 minutes!

So they put it on a disk for us (I haven't seen it yet), so we'll see glimpses of the hardware as it went in--here's one bolt, here's another plus part of the rod, etc., etc.

Anyway. I can also hardly believe that he's JUST ON TYLENOL now. No, I'm not kidding. It is uncomfortable to be in a car, and he changes position and shifts in chairs and laying down, but with this discomfort, he just takes Tylenol equivalent.

Diane (Frank's mom) also came yesterday. David actually beat her home! Thank you for continued thoughts and prayers. It feels so much better to have him here.

More later, Kari

Here We Go...

Just to keep you updated on David.

OPERATION DAY: DAY ZERO. The surgery went "without a hitch!" We arrived at the hospital around 6 a.m., and the operation "actually started" by 9:20. I was so happy and relieved to talk to the doctor around 2 p.m. when he was all sewn up again!

Relatively speaking, he had a pretty good night. Some nausea. They woke him up every hour to poke and bother, so sleep was pretty choppy. But he looks better than yesterday right after surgery, and the pain has so far been kept in check. Of course each hour/half-day will bring new challenges.

We have felt so much support from everybody. Thank you for fasting and praying in his behalf. I think there is more power in those 2 things than we realize.

Tuesday, DAY 1: A lot of people came in and out. Nurses check vital signs every couple of hours. The Dr. checks in, the anesthesiologist, the "C.A."--can't remember what that one stands for. Also the Pain Management guy.

He is encouraged to breathe deeply every hour, with a plastic tube thing, to expand his lungs and keep them active. They stopped the constant flow of morphine this morning; now he has only the pump. (When he's uncomfortable, he can press the pump button. He doesn't press it very much.) He hasn't complained or been in TOO much pain. Maybe he got Mom's "high tolerance" for pain after all. We hope.

They took out the drain tube that was collecting fluids from his back. Now the body should start absorbing that fluid, they say.

They say the more active the kids are after surgery, the quicker they feel comfortable doing things. They encouraged him to sit up today: the nurse brought in a big recliner-type chair, and they got him sitting up on the bed and then into the chair. Upright is better than laying down, they say. Once in the morning and once late afternoon, for a total of 3 1/2 hours in the chair. For "Day 1," that is great, they keep saying.

The movement made him nauseous but they put a dramamine-type patch behind his ear. He hasn't been nauseous since. Movement wipes him out completely. His eyes droop and he's out for 60-90 minutes after exerting the energy.

He has "air-boots" on his calves, pumping air like a blood-pressure cuff. It's supposed to keep the circulation active in his legs while he's lying there so much.

Another HUGE blessing is that he's in a room by himself! For now. No guarantees, of course, that he'll stay here the whole time. There are only 6 single rooms on the floor, and they are reserved for kids who will be here for extended (long, long) periods of time, or contagious kids.

He has been drinking water and apple juice this afternoon. Maybe we try crackers tomorrow. :)