A Day in the Life

Hospitals are nonstop. And when you're a patient (or a parent of a patient) you live by their 24 hour clock. Here's a snapshot of what our days living in the hospital look like. 

6AM-  Blood draw, I mean who doesn't like being woken up with a poke in the arm. 

6:30AM- X-ray, they wheel a portable machine right into our room. 

7AM- Shift change for nurses

8AM- Medicine & vitals (blood pressure, temperature, feel pulses and listen with stethoscope)

8:30AM-12PM- Play, watch movies, wait for rounds. Doctors and NP's round every morning between 8:30 & 9:30 You learn so much by listening in on rounds and sometimes they even listen to you!

12PM- Vitals

1-3PM- Nap!  It's amazing how he's fallen back into his sleep patterns despite this hectic atmosphere. We worked really hard on having a consistent sleep schedule when he was a baby. There has been slight adjustments to it over the past two years, but ultimately it has paid off. Seeing him find his schedule here, after all he's been through, is simply delightful. 

4PM- More vitals

4-8PM- More playtime, movies, books 

7PM- Shift change for nurses

8PM- Medicine & vitals, Santi is currently taking three diuretics, enalapril for blood pressure, Zantac for his tummy, sodium chloride (which tastes 100 times saltier than ocean water) because the diuretics have depleted his system of sodium, Coumadin to prevent clotting, miralax as needed, Motrin for pain during the day and loratab (Tylenol with codeine) before bed to help him sleep comfortably. 

9-10PM- Sponge bath in bed, another movie, lots of cuddles, Sleep!​

12AM- Vitals

2AM- IV diuretics every 6 hours  (for now)

4AM- Vitals

...and then it all starts over again with a 6AM blood draw.  

I am always awake to enjoy the sunrise over downtown LA