After Several "Rascally" Moments... We're Home!!

Well folks... it's official. We are HOME!!! Horray! We got discharged from the hospital yesterday as Tim was doing so well they no longer needed him there. Here of some of the events that transcribed in the meantime...

Monday morning I arrived at the hospital after having had a nice weekend with Ken, the elevator doors opened, and I see a crib coming down the hall toward me. I squint and see a kid that looks like Tim, wait no... it is Tim getting wheeled down the hall coming up from x-ray! "What happened ?!" I exclaim. "He pulled out his Broviac", says his nurse. Well... for those of you who don't know, this is the tube that was inserted into Tim via surgery 4 months ago that goes directly into the chest and up to the jugular vein. And apparently, at six in the morning, Tim had had enough of it and yanked it out!! The nurse found him sitting in his bed waving it around, bleeding, enitirely pleased with himself. Can you say "YIPES!" What a scare!! But they say this happens more often with other kids. However, normally it takes several people to accomplish this feat. One nurse applying counter-pressure while the doctor yanks it out. Dr. Gunnerson said, "Well, I guess we know he is feeling better to be able to do that!".

So that was how my week started. The other issue was that now Tim has no access site and so they were going to need to put in a peripheral IV in order for him to get the contrast injected for the CT scan he was supposed to have yesterday. They put him out with gas, and then tried to get a line going. But apparently all his veins are quite collapsed from the chemo and are also still wrecked from trying to get an IV for surgery. So after starving the poor kid until 3pm and going under yet again, they had to cancel the CT because they couldn't get an IV. This was extremely aweful at that moment and I was wanting to scream. After all this poor kid has been thru... Now we have to go back and do it all over again. Hopefully they will not have to put in another Broviac but we first need to see the pathology report as to if he needs more chemo. I think this "feat of strength" was Tim telling all of us... "That's it! I am DONE! No more chemo!" Well... here's hopin'! Now we wait for the report which will arrive either before or after Christmas. At least they didn't have to keep him in the hospital. Horray! Home in 5 days ain't half bad!!