12/30 7:30 am

Ethan had a quiet night. He had his typical wakes for suctioning. He did have some oxygen dips overnight. His X-ray of his lungs looks very fluid-y. I think dialysis is a go and I am glad. I feel like maybe this will help him feel better and while it comes with its own list of pros and cons, the pros outweigh the cons. 

Maybe this could be the help he so desperately needs. This poor kid.

At one point Ethan woke up in the middle of the night. They decided to give him a bath and change his sheets which also involved removing my awesome bandage. The bandage I put on had helped. I listened to them examine my bandage and compliment it on it’s accomplishment. Then they were trying to figure out how to duplicate it. 

I told them that I was feeling helpless but that putting this bandage on and seeing the results made me feel at least a little useful. I then went over and started going through the drawers to pull out my bandage material. I showed them how to put it on and (there were three of them) were impressed. I was glad the original nurse showed me his trick. I have been able to share it with multiple nurses. Knowledge is power. Maybe some other kids will gain the benefit of it too.

One of the nurses was asking me to grab him a tegaderm, which is a clear plastic adhesive pad to hold things in place on the skin. As I was looking through the drawer, he said he needed a....then he used a word I had no idea what it meant.  

“I don’t know what that word means.” I said 

He repeated the same word (I can’t remember what it was) I had visions of Schitt’s Creek and Moira telling David to “Fold in the cheese”.

He finally said that it meant the biggest tegaderm that was in there.

“ oh, you have to use less confusing words like “biggest one” for me to understand. You don’t have to say the fancy word, this isn’t Starbucks in here.”

He started laughing.

When they get him set up I plan to go back to the apartment and do some laundry. I will be kicked out anyway so this works and he will have plenty of people around him to watch him and hold his hand.

The sunrise is beautiful this morning and to have a bright side so early on, I hope this is a sign of the day ahead.

If you have a minute, please wish Paul a Happy Birthday.  He turns 55 today. (Really 47 but he will enjoy if you wish him a happy 55th birthday, he will especially like if you tell him he doesn’t look a day over 55.)