Recovery Day #5

8:30 PM
It is great to be home. I can see a definite difference in Jake already. He is enjoying all of the space that was lacking in the hospital. The three of us are no longer tripping over each other. He gladly took his medicine. We will see how bedtime goes.

Jenna was also happy to have the whole gang back together. She has been without her brother or puppies for six days. I think she hugged Josie just as much (or more) than she did me. When she first saw Jake, she went straight for his hair/bandages. Ooops.

We never did get a suitable helmet to protect Jake. But I got a tip that there is a place in Cedar Rapids that specializes in Orthotics. We have an appointment tomorrow to get measured for a custom soft helmet. I am sure it will fit much better than the padded brown box we got from the hospital.

I cannot say thank you enough to everyone for the prayers, thoughts, and generosity. I am in absolute awe of the giving hearts of all!! I attribute Jacob's successfully journey to the power of love and prayer that surrounded us.

1:30 PM
Discharge papers in hand. Waiting on a better fitting helmet. Then we are out of here and not looking back!!

1:00 PM
Our neurosurgeon stopped by and was so excited with Jake's progress (and if I have told you about this surgeon, you would understand that any sign of emotion is significant). He couldn't believe Jake's energy, tenacity, and lack of swelling. He immediately told us to go home. He said that there is a point at which the child heals better at home and is at a greater risk of infection by staying in the hospital. We have reached that point. He took some time to highlight risks we still face, most importantly seizures. Now we are waiting on discharge papers/instructions from neurosurgery and otolaryngology.

Jacob was also fitted for a soft helmet. After wearing it for a while and playing, we quickly realized that it was not an appropriate fit. They are working to find a suitable solution.

It is only a matter of time now. You have no idea how good it will feel to breathe fresh air, see Jenna and the puppies, and relax/sleep at home.

7:30 AM
The expectation has been set that we are going home today. There is a little extra pep in the camp this morning. Jacob is most excited. He keeps telling me to pack the bag! I do know that our neurosurgeon has two surgeries today so we will either see him between cases or after both.

Beside that, we had a pretty good night. I was excited about our night nurse. She adjusted the heart rate monitor so the alarm wouldn't go off every 30 seconds. But then with his first vitals check at midnight, a nurse's assistant came in and I now have a strong opinion that nurse's assistants should only be allowed on the day shift.

For now, Scott is running out to the car to get Jake's shoes so he can do some more walking today. We found the playroom yesterday and he is ready to go back and play with the "new" toys.