No strings attached

What an amazing day! I arrived at the hospital shortly after 9 and Avery was still munching on her fruit loops and banana for breakfast. Lisa, the physiotherapist arrived around 10 and Avery was pretty quick to get to standing and walked down the hall right to the washroom.

While she took a seat and tried to relax a little, we took advantage of the sink and towels and cleaned her up a bit for her first non - family visitors. The walk back she pushed her IV pole and only held Lisa's hand for comfort more than support,  then turned herself and sat down without any help (well aside from me opening the back of her gown - she is very hot with ice brick extremities).

She stayed sitting for over an hour, briefly spoke with her visitors then got back to standing with little assistance and back to bed. Her IV was bothering her, so after a few complaints her nurse removed it - and didn't replace it! She said she would wait until the resident showed up, unless Avery started peeing much darker than coors light.

Her room gets lovely daytime sun, but as a result, her room gets wickedly hot while the sun is up, then cools off fast when the sun sets. Pants' mannerisms remind me of me when I was having her - hot and not wanting anything on me and no one to speak to me.

Then she ate lunch 2.3 fish sticks, some carrots and one Dad's oatmeal cookie. She needed a little rest, but at 2:00 asked me to take her to the washroom again, so since dad was gone, we called over nurse Sandy and trekked down the hall - me with her catheter bag hanging off my jean pocket as she no longer had her IV pole to hang it off of.

She walked back that time all by herself - me trailing a step behind with the pee bag. She got herself seated with no help and watched some tv for half an hour or so. I needed to grab some lunch and left for about 10 minutes, and noted her room was on the call board when I re-entered the floor so I hurried back in. Seems she wanted back in bed - so we just did that - she used her awesome squat muscles and pushed up to standing then sat on her bed and lay down - all by herself.

Around 4:00 her surgeon showed up (and scared the pants off nurse Sandy!) And ordered the central line out - but then volunteered to do it himself. Seems that one gets stitched in to place, so he removed the stitches and left the nurse to bandage it. He also told her she could remove the catheter.

So by 4:30 she was officially line and tube free and can roam as she wishes. She does have to pee in a 'hat' to measure her outputs, but that is nothing.

Oh - and in case you didn't know already, the patient services at this hospital are amazing. We were invited to a toy give away at 2. I figured McDonald's toys - but no, these were full size amazing toys.  Colour explosion kits, trucks, dolls, colourings sets - and all the name brand ones. Free. Just for being here. She didn't feel up for the walk, and I was going by around 3 when they were leaving and was called over to see if there was something she might like.

I anticipate a couple more walks tonight, then x - rays tomorrow and more physio with Jill and maybe bringing Pants home by Tuesday.

So here is Pants - no strings (wires or tubes) attached :)



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