Day 3

Mike stayed with mary last night. It was hard to leave but its important to do so so we can be functional.

Mary had a decent night. She slept for the most part from 8:30 to 4:00 then off and on 7:30. She was less hesitant to move and felt more hungry for breakfast.

The Physical Therapist came in the morning and taught Mary how to get in her wheelchair. She took 3 laps around the floor. The physical exertion really takes a toll.

She had a quick visit from a school friend, then i arrived with Mary's sister. Its good to trade nights but hard to get caught up on what you missed and get in the grove that the other parent has assumed so well. They switched Mary from the patient controlled morphine pump to loratab given by mouth every 6 hours. Then she ate some lunch.

Her cousins came to visit but she was wiped out from physical therapy and the new pain med hadn't hit yet so she was in an irritated mood. And all of the sudden she became afraid of anticipated pain so she was scared to do things like simply raising the height of the bed that she had done great with the day before. I guess fear of pain is better than experiencing real pain but it was very different from how she had been the two previous days. So everyone left but her daddy, she rested, the pain meds kicked in and she had a great visit from one of her really good friends.

Afterwards Mary hung out with her mommy and daddy. She read, we played uno, etc. Then her cousins brought her sister back and an in and out burger so hopefully Mary could get some protein. She had an OK dinner but it was time for more pain meds so she was irritable and scared of pain again like she was earlier in the day.

Everyone left but me and Mary and i watched some Curious George and she whipped me in tic tac toe on my ipad. She actually ate a little more fruit, brushed her teeth for the first time in 3 days (don't tell her dentist) and she fell asleep pretty easily at 9:30.

We are anticipating having to fight a little to get to stay tomorrow. Her doctor said she is 12 hours ahead of schedule of his average patient and he has been planning on her leaving on Sunday. But there is no physical therapy on Sunday's so we still need to learn how to use the walker etc. If she could have pt tomorrow we would feel more comfortable leaving. Everyone has a different opinion about when she should leave. A resident told mike she would be leaving today which was not a possibility since she was still hooked up to the pain med pump. Physical therapy thinks she should leave Monday to Wednesday and her doctor thinks Sunday. Her parents say compromise and leave on Monday but its really up to Mary.

The care from the nurses has been great but its always funny to me how everyone has different styles. I guess you adopt the best ones for you.

We have realized we need to make a temporary bedroom for Mary downstairs until she can manage the stairs. Her daddy will start that tomorrow afternoon.

Ironically this afternoons nurse previously worked at Shriner's in Boston and has a lot of experience with external fixators. She gave us good info about signs of infection and mentioned tinting that i don't think i have heard about before. You have to watch for the skin to slant up or down around the pin sites. It should be flat. She was also good working with Mary through her fear of pain and i felt comfortable with her since she has a lot of experience with external fixators.