The Road to Recovery

Ethan is now well on his way to recovery. He was moved from critical care to the pediatric floor yesterday, is able to go on just 0.5 litres of oxygen without issue and had his chest tube taken out this evening. How amazing is that from a week ago?

They tried to clamp the tube for removal yesterday but the pneumothorax in his upper right lobe had grown a bit when we challenged him so they unclamped everything and decided to leave it in another day.

It is kind of funny the emotional rollercoaster you ride during times like this.

I was sick over the weekend and had to go home to take care of myself. When I saw him yesterday morning I was taken aback by how thin he looks. It's not like Ethan was in need of losing any weight to begin with but his bones just seem more predominant then before. Then he failed the first challenge with the chest tube, has a really sore bottom from the antibiotics and last night when he finally fell asleep it was into a super deep sleep where his heart rate kept causing the monitors to alarm for at least the first few hours. He just seemed so frail to me. It isn't often I feel this way about Ethan and I have to say it is good to have Clayton be the rock for me. He said how strong Ethan is and that he would bounce back. In my heart I know this it is just when he is in such a vulnerable time that it is hard to see past all the tubes, and monitors and challenges.

Then we welcomed in today and the new gains he's made. He is getting his full calories now and we're working to increase the rate so he isn't feeding all day long. Ethan is quite well known at our hospital, just about everyone I saw today said to me that it's been a long time since they've seen him. It is good, it is true, he's amazing!

It is so hard to believe my amazing little boy will be 7 tomorrow! Happy Birthday sweetie, we look forward to celebrating with you tomorrow and for all the tomorrows that follow, may they be more then I could dream to count!

 

Taken this afternoon, you can see his chest monitor, nasal prongs, IV...and that he is in need of a haircut! It was all kind of swooshed up and back today, very cute!