Today looked something like the above here in SLC. It was damp and transitioning into the time we call winter even though the calendar tries to convince us it's still fall. It was a good day to be inside even though the hospital temperatures remain coolish. With jeans, a long sleeved shirt and warm vest and knit scarf I was comfortable all day. I tried shedding the outer layer a couple of times but it didn't last long. Hopefully some autumn days will return but right now it sure doesn't feel like they will. :-/
Hazie was pretty good today. Her moods would fluctuate with the length of time between her doses of Tylenol. Jen says and I agree, that she is not good at self-reporting pain, so you have to go by her breathing and disposition. The minute she gets cranky or her breathing very labored...the culprit is pain.
It is normal that she would have pain after all they did to her yesterday. I stayed with her for three hours today while Jen took care of some other things and I enjoyed how cute she is about asking every nurse exactly what they plan to do to her. She asks what everything is when they walk in the door and then instructs them on how she likes her IV meds to be administered slowly, not fast. If they don't get it just right she corrects it with, " Please go a little slower," or "You can go faster than that...just not too fast." It is quite cute because she is polite but firm in what she wants. The do their best to comply. Today her throat was sore from the intubation. She asked all kinds of questions about that and was an expert by day's end.
Because Hazel had her ups and downs today she was still looking for something to eat. But when it arrived she often couldn't or wouldn't eat any of it. I think she ate one dinner roll today and the sandwich part of an ice cream sandwich...no ice cream. Oh and one quarter of a ham sandwich. Her order was this, "A ham sandwich on white bread with a 'titch" of mustard, and a "titch" of mayo. The titch of mustard was the size of a pencil eraser and the titch of mayo was the size of a dime. She is a nutty noodle that kid!
Hopefully Grampa who is doing a sleepover with her at the hospital had better luck than I did. The last text we received he was trying to convince her to try almonds and prunes. I guarantee you that just ain't happenin'!
Today Hazel got more mail and presents. We are going to need a truck to get her stuff home when the time comes. Look what Chloe, Piper and Grampa brought her from one of the teachers are her school! It is overwhelmingly large and squishy as you can see. She was delighted! Such a sweet thing to do and it's from Chloe's 4th grade teacher, Jo Payton. Chloe's 5th grade teacher, Ms Jimenez, gave Chloe a stuffed llama. (Her favorite animal!) Nice teachers at their school for sure.
There is not much room left in this room!
Hazie got to go down to the gym for some crafting this afternoon. It didn't last too long as when she is away from her bed her drainage tube in her head has to be clamped off. When that happens the cranial fluid quickly starts accumulating and it give her a bad headache. We will be very happy when that new shunt is put in. Hopefully with some very good luck and rich blessings it may be as soon as Tuesday. We'll see. It is still very much one day at a time.
Her infection is looking like it is retreating more according to the numbers but some of the fluids they aspirated yesterday need time to grow cultures if they are going to do so. They want to make sure it is more of the same bacteria and not something new. Since the pocket of fluid they could not reach would require a major abdominal surgery they are foregoing that unless absolutely necessary.
The new shunt will now be placed in her brain and drain down into one of her atrium (upper) chambers in her heart. It is amazing what they can do! But this little girl has very little inside her that has not been corrected or repaired by some form of surgery. She is tired. Her mama and daddy are tired. We are just glad to be here to give a little moral support and help with the easy stuff. It is nothing more than any one of you would do under the same circumstances. Your prayers and good wishes and kind words are keeping us all afloat. Thank you!
Beautiful sunset as were were leaving the hospital.
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