Day 124: Cleared for Clears

Duplicated on our CaringBridge site for permanent record here.

March 21, 2021, written by Mama

124 days in the hospital: 63 in PICU, 28 in the Oncology ward, 15 at In-Patient Rehab, and 18 back in the Oncology ward.

Thomas seems to be healing so well! Today (about 40 hours post-op) he was "cleared for clears," and he happily drank 10 ounces of chicken broth, 5 ounces of apple juice, and 5 ounces of water.

Also, his bowels woke up! After a patient undergoes GI surgery, the whole team is always anxiously awaiting for the bowels to wake up from the "sleep" they go into after being manhandled. It is great excitement among medical folk when everything is working again. 

Thomas even participated in Physical Therapy today! I did not know PT would come by while he has an epidural, but the therapist did. While Thomas laid in bed, she gave him a good stretching and workout with his legs.

Everyone around the hospital knows what Thomas's two favorite types of animals are: "Squids are my favorite sea animal, but sloths are my favorite land animal." Thomas was not amused by Daddy setting up an epic battle between his two favorite stuffed animals.

Thomas produced some amazing art today and I know I'm biased, but still. He did all of this independently except for writing "To John / From Tom."

Barney Fife's police car

I went home for fewer than 24 hours and I was rather crazed trying to get through my to-do list. I did not quite succeed and, even now back at the hospital, I need to type out the school lists for my other three children and email those home.

I'm tired, tired, tired. I have found that I start to enjoy the comforts of home too much--the hugs from kiddos, the freedom, all the spring flowers blooming in our yard, the snuggles from my three-year-old, the aesthetic beauty inside our home (as compared to a hospital)--and it makes it hard for my soul to come back to the hospital. At least I'm not having panic attacks at home anymore, but it remains a real emotional challenge to go back and forth between two worlds.

I know things are going well medically in these last several days, but this is still one of those nights I'm going to bed not knowing how to go through another day in the hospital, or however many hospital days Thomas has left here. This journey is so long, I'm astounded. One foot in front of the other is all I can do, just one foot, one foot, mindlessly step by step . . .