More About Day One

Today was a huge day for Sam and all of our family.

Sam made it to the ward in Close Observation tonight, but not until after a very draining day.  This morning he was weaned off of all of his post surgery medications except morphine and saline.  He is still on oxygen just to help him out a little.  His pacing wires are still in, though unused  and of course his three chest drains will remain until they stop draining fluid.

It is difficult to believe that he has moved to the ward only 24 hours after his operation.  There has been a lot of fluid draining from the area around his right lung, so we need to pray that this will rectify and that he will regain complete use of his right lung. 

He has sat up three times today in bed and once placed weight onto his feet by standing on the pysio' legs.  The pain when he moves around those drains is intense.  The fact that his chest has been opened and closed in nothing in comparison to that pain.  I am not sure morphine is the best option for Sam, but I will talk to his pain doctors tomorrow.

He has been through a tremendous amount of intervention today, having lines removed left right and centre, physio, doctor's rounds, hourly observations, medications.  He is feeling very dizzy and somewhat nauseous from the morphine which he needs for the pain.  He asks he to wrap my arms around him and hold him because he feels like he is falling from his bed.  We battled this all afternoon and into the night. He is also having many hallucinations from the morphine which is causing him distress.  He is very thirsty and is allowed to drink some, but is not interested in much food.  He has eaten some minuscule amounts.

Sam also commenced Aspirin today and will no longer be on Warfarin at this stage.  Though collaboration with his doctors we have decided that this is the best course of action for Sam's blood thinning needs.

Heart wise his function is excellent.  Don is staying with him tonight and needs to stay awake as you can't sleep next to your child in close obs. 

The hardest part of today was watching him go through all of the intervention and fighting it every inch of the way.  The nurses tell him what they need to do and he tells them in a loud voice over and over, 'No. I don't want you to, ever!' Over and over again in his groggy, croaky voice. And while he endures having the procedures I hold his little body and head and keep him still while I whisper reassurance into his ear.  Afterward I hold him and hum, whispering prayers into his ear to help him settle back down and drift off to sleep.

Granny and Grandad are here until tomorrow also, which has been wonderful, for all of us, especially Jack. 

We have received some beautiful gifts in the hospital from precious Hearts and the gang at the Longreach Swimming Pool (thank you Jo and family) and also from Longreach Aircraft Maintenace (Thank you Annalisa and Ben). Sam even shared one of his balloons with one of the other kids in ICU who was very sad and did not have any. When Sam is more lucid he will thoroughly enjoy his gifts.

So many inspirational families here.
So much strength birthed by so much heartache.
So many talented and gifted nurses and doctors.
So many many opportunities to praise God for all of the good that he does in our lives and all of the valleys he carries us through.

Please pray Sam continue to improve.

Tomorrow is a new day