Recovery Day 5 & 6

We were discharged Monday morning. Much to my pleading eyes of ” let me stay another week. I know most people can’t wait to get out of hospitals. Maybe I am weird. I remember thinking the same thing about my Csection. How can they preform such intense operations and send you home a couple days later. Though I know sawyer has made leaps and bounds in the last 24 hours, I still don’t want to be this far away from the hospital should something go wrong.

It was just Sawyer and I that morning when he opened his eyes as much as possible. He registered that yes I had been by his side this whole time. That smile will be in my heart forever. Daddy got the same bright welcome when he walked in the door. It was like we finally had Sawyer back. I think he was excited to finally open his eyes that he didn’t want to nap. Maybe he thought if he closed those baby blues they would be shut for 5 days again.

Our discharge nurse was the same nurse we had on surgery day. She was such a sweet heart. She got Sawyer all fixed up in the pediatric wings wagon, so while she was doing all our paper work, I could take sawyer on a stroll through PICU. Sawyer was enjoying it but it was again a humbling walk. I was taking my baby without any lines or monitors on a discharge walk and many of those patients are not leaving for a long time. Usually there is only one cranio case per 3 weeks. But there was an emergency operation brought in 2 days after we arrived. This little boy was 4 years old, and no one had caught his till he was feeling effects from it. I got the chance to talk to his Dad in the waiting room, and saw his mom around the hospital a couple times. Another strong family. I thought it was adorable seeing his teachers visiting him. On our last round in the wagon, I stopped by to leave a note for them, some magazines, and the roll of quarters for the vending machines that I had been gifted. Just a little something to say, we know what your going through. His mom wasn’t there but his Grandma was. She gave me a huge thank you and it was the first time I teared up after the surgery.

And then we were on our way. Going home for the first time in almost a week. Our great nurse walked us all the way to our car, two floors down in the parking garage. Sawyer even gave her a big hug as she picked him up and put him in his car seat. It felt so weird to be leaving so soon. But after one more hug from me, she bid us farewell and away we went. It was so wonderful to see Sawyer recognize being home. When knew he loved Karma before, but it really showed when Sawyer lit up and giggled uncontrollably for the first time since the surgery, after karma jumped up to see him. {bonus points for getting it on video camera.}

He slept for a couple hours and then the happiness ended. How I already wish we were back in the PICU with all our favorite nurses. I mixed the formula and the Tylenol with codeine just in case. And then because he doesn’t like it in the bottle I syringed it all slowly into his mouth. But he still hated it. And about an hour into doing so, and just about finished the dose, he vomited. Everywhere. Projectile, never ended puke. And at that point you can’t give them anymore because you don’t know how much they actually got. So it took a lot of rocking to get him to sleep again. His crib was all set up like his bed in the PICU this week. After a frustrating evening, he was asleep in his bed, I was sleeping next to him on the floor. I thought we were good. Sawyer was up 4 times. Up meaning needing to be out of the crib for various reasons, awake even more times. So this morning after dealing with him throwing up regular Tylenol too, I passed out on the couch. So don’t worry I still got some sleep in too.

But it seems like we just continued down that road. All day Sawyer has been upset. Running a low grade fever, coughing, in pain. Every time we got him to sleep, only in our arms, if we moved even slightly we would wake him up. After getting no sleep all day I thought he would for sure sleep tonight. I was very much wrong. Ive been rocking him back to sleep since 7. And after pulling everything out of that bed and putting him down on his tummy he is finally asleep at 12:30. Just in time for me to curl up on his floor again.

But the swelling is down more and more every day. So it’s still something to celebrate. Ive seen lives cut too short in the last couple days. Sorry to see the passing of a young man I went to school with. A baby in the PICU who’s parents couldn’t be there for him at 5 months for various reasons, probably won’t survive the week. Its been a tough week emotionally and physically {sleep is one magical thing, and when you take it away it can do some pretty wacky things to you. I think Ive felt 3 “earthquakes” this week. 🙁 }So even though I am wishing we were back in the PICU with help, I am grateful we were allowed to leave with this recovering baby and each new day we get with him. Here’s to hoping tomorrow will be better.

8 thoughts on “Recovery Day 5 & 6”

  1. Thanks as always for the updates…even though they are hard to read. You write – so I feel – like we are talking to each other. You are very open and honest. You are handling this whole thing so well. Take it one day at a time….you have come so far already. Glad to see Sawyer home with his dogs!!!

    Love from far away Auntie K xoxox

  2. I have been keeping up on your blog since your hospital stay. Can feel what you feel a little bit. Different situation, longer hospital stay but same result as you with finally getting to take my little man home with me. In the moment I really didn’t think that it was going to end. It was quite possibly the hardest thing I have ever had to go through but has made me so much more thankful to have my little man with me. I too got to see a lot of very sad situations and was thankful for my situation in the end. Reading through your blog has brought many many memories back. I have been inspired by your attitude very much as I don’t think I was that positive on a daily basis. Looks like your little man is getting so much better. I’m sure its tough right now but before you know it you will have your happy little man back. Sending love and hugs from Calgary! 🙂
    Amanda

    1. Amanda, Sorry to hear you went through a similar experience. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I hope you and your little guy are doing better now!

  3. Your beautiful boy is smiling! So happy to see it. I agree with you that seems so fast to be out of the hospital but you’ll both rest better at home. You remain in our prayers, karen

  4. Sweet baby Sawyer. That’s so rough that he vomited so much,I hope that his little tummy is settling. What a comfort to have you there right by his side as he goes through this ordeal. You and Brandon must be beyond exhausted. Each new day you are getting closer to his recovery. You are remarkable parents. We are praying for you every day. Love to you, and bless little Saywer’s heart!
    Mary Lou

    1. Thank you Mary Lou! So sweet of you to be following our story! Sawyer is doing much better with the medication, we switched our routine with it, and he’s doing great!

  5. So happy to hear Sawyer is home. We have been following your posts about your sweet little guy every day. Your family has been in our thoughts and prayers – such good news that everything is going so well!

Leave a Reply to Alissa Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *