Heading home

Yesterday, Dr. Mary gave us a pass to take Samuel home for a few hours. It was glorious. He was so much more relaxed at home and ate better. And I got to have a shower and a nap and eat supper with my whole family around the table. I cried a little when it was time to bring him back to the hospital, wishing I could sleep in my own bed and wake up with all my children in one place. But there were still a few issues to sort out. Yesterday, my list for the surgeon looked like this:

Morphine - off?
Oxygen - oximetry for home?
Feeding - WTH?!

Sam has been refusing to take a bottle at all. Despite many hypotheses about this and much standing-on-head efforts from me, he's just not willing. It's not oral aversion as he will take a soother and other food.  I have not ruled out the idea that he is having some sort of modified hunger strike to protest his continued hospitalization, but I think the more likely culprit is teething. Sam has two big blisters on his upper gum and, despite being on pain meds, it just seems like it would be uncomfortable to put as much pressure there as bottling requires. But he has to eat to grow and heal... so we top him up with NG tube feeds and I feed him yogurt, fruit and other soft bits that I bring from home.

Sam and much beloved sweet potatoes.

They did order him a hospital diet but, well, no one should have to eat what the kitchen sends up for these healing babies. His trays have included things like omelettes (and I use that term loosely) and egg salad sandwiches, which he CAN'T eat, and things like chocolate pudding cups, which he SHOULDN'T eat, really. I did try him with the ice cream, just to see what he thought of it. He scrunched up his face like I'd offered him liver pate. At ice cream! I've requested a DNA test.

So he'll go home with some NG feeds until he's back to taking everything he needs by mouth. So far, the people in the know about feeding have all said, "He'll get it. This isn't worrisome." These are two of my favourite sentences ever.

He's off his morphine and goes home with tylenol and ibuprofen. He passed his overnight oximetry last night and so is off oxygen and monitors. Since I already have been around the block with this feeding thing at home, and everything else looks so good with his incisions and general healing, we are going home.

I have everything in his room packed up to go. I have seen the surgeon, dietician, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and home nutrition nurse. I've put in a new NG tube and I have supplies for feeding him at home. Various lovely Unit 2 people have stopped in to say goodbye. We're ready to bust out of this joint as soon as our doctor gives the final green light.

Woo hoo!

A final play in our room on Unit 2.