Recovery- Day 14

Two weeks. In the big picture of our lives, it's nothing. 

Santi is a professional patient. He has gotten used to the daily activities of hospital life. He holds still for the blood pressure cuff, he lifts his arm for the thermometer and lowers it back down. A half dozen people, or more, come at him with stethoscopes throughout the day. His only request is that I hold his hand while the strangers hover over him. X-Rays and blood draws are still met with terror, understandably. He can power through his oral meds (6-8 syringes twice a day) like a champ. Even the most veteran nurses are impressed with his ability to take sodium chloride (liquid salt) twice a day with minimal hysteria and zero gagging. When his nasal cannula falls out (because we don't need to tape it to his cheeks) he fixes it himself or asks for help. 

We are equally happy and sad over his professional patient status. Happy he can adjust to new and difficult situations. And so, so sad that he has to learn this skill as a toddler.  

Santi had a big day today. The first bit of good news is that his drainage is slowing down enough that we've heard mention of tube removal. His drainage has decreased from 200cc to 150cc to 120cc to 80cc over the past four days, respectively. If he's down to 40cc tomorrow he'll most likely return to a low fat diet. If his fluid output remains low after a day on a low fat diet then the tube can come out. Let's all root for that! 

Santi also walked more today than he has in the past two weeks. We walked from our room to the furthest nurses station and back! He did amazing. I wish we had a photo, but our hands were full. Abe rolled the pole with the oxygen tank and chest tube pump. He also wrangled the tubes and wires. I hovered my hands on either side of Santi's ribs. Just in case he lost his balance. He didn't. He was so strong. 

We celebrated by spending the rest of the afternoon on my bed by the window. Santi opened a few more presents and watched a movie on the iPad.