2/14

One of the nurses made these cookies. They are so cute and delicious.

Happy Valentine’s Day and National Organ Donor Day!  We never thought we would be in the hospital this long. Ethan was having a hard morning. He wants to eat more and is being hard on himself. He wants to get out of here so badly but is frustrated with his progress. The physical pain he is feeling just from standing and walking is intense for him. 

We are massaging and heating and getting him up and moving despite it all. 

Ethan napped a lot this morning. Yesterday, Paul came and I got to spend the afternoon with Avery and Jesney. Paul got to visit with Ethan. When Paul arrived at the hospital he checked in at the front security desk.  They gave him a badge and he went up to the 9 th floor. Ethan’s room is the farthest room away from the elevators. As Paul was walking to Ethan’s room, one of the nurses suspected Stranger Danger. She was NOT going to let some weird man she had never seen just walk into Ethan’s room. She demanded to know who she was. After realizing Paul was dad, she went back to her sweet self.

Paul thought it was a testimony to how caring everyone is and what great care everyone takes of Ethan.

Paul spent several hours with Ethan. They both loved and needed that time together. Paul helped him with the wooden car a bit because Ethan’s wrists were getting sore from using a screwdriver. This poor kid has to train all his muscles, head to toe.

Ethan showed Paul his beads and they chatted away. Meanwhile I was packing up the apartment and listening to the girls chit chatting away about what they were going to order from grub hub. They decided on Chinese. 

We are and had a nice afternoon hanging out on the couch. The girls helped me take the garbage and recyclables to the dark, dingy basement. The only good think about the garbage basement is there sometimes is a friendly stray cat down there. When I went to catch an Uber I saw Paul’s van. A Prius was up its butt!  I knew Paul would be pissed. 

Paul went back to the apartment and I stayed with Ethan overnight. This morning Paul stopped by on his way out to run up to his room and say goodbye. Since we both can’t be up there at the same time, I went out to the car and chatted with Avery and Jesney. When Paul was done, I met him in the lobby to do a “pass exchange” so I could gain access back up to Ethan. Paul came down with tears in his eyes and we hugged with our masks on.  We both had tears streaming down our face.  What a weird  spot we were in. We were just saying goodbye and not knowing when the next time was that we would see each other again.

Ethan napped the morning away. We finally got him in the wheel chair after lunch.  At one point his nurse was tied up and Janice started making her horrible noises. Another nurse had to come in. 

I said “the bag is full and needs to be changed.” Truthfully I have done it a few times now, but a nurse poo pooed me for doing it so I try to at least get the bags ready for them to switch over and not necessarily switch it for them.  This nurse had no idea what to do and was going to get another nurse to help. The problem was, everyone was tied up.

“ It’s not hard nor scary.  Put on your clamps, untwist this, move that here, put the new bag on by pulling this. And then pushed  this button when your done.” We did it step by step. The nurse had to switch our bag a few times over the next few hours and now knew how to. Just part of my nursing boot camp here.

We are now keeping a food diary to help track calories for Ethan. His feeds have been changed to a higher caloric density formula. Trying to pump him full of nutrients. It must be working, he is up to 103 pounds.

For Valentine’s Day, Ethan was giving out Valentine’s Day hugs. Everyone loved them, including me. A free way to brighten someone’s day. Hope everyone got to enjoy loving someone or being loved.

I am so thankful i got to visit with the family, ever if it was for a short time.