Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hospital Count Day: 26
/\/\/\MORNING VISITORS/\/\/\
Monday night was thankfully uneventful. I am continuing to rely less and less on the ventilator and am hopeful to be free o' it soon. This morning I was greeted by several visitors. Mrs. Jefferis, Mrs. Callahan, Brenda, and Gram all came down to see me. I am still conscious enough to respond to my visitors so that makes things a li'l nicer. Ace was excited that they brought breakfast. A whole dozen o' his favorite Dunkin' Donuts.
Now that I could communicate a li'l bit I had lots to say. I wanted to use sign language, but no one else knew how to read it. I knew there was one person that could translate for me, my sister Heidi. Here is me writing Heidi's name on Ace's hand to let him know that I wanted to see her.
/\/\/\CAUTION: PICTURE AHEAD MAY CAUSE NAUSEA...PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!/\/\/\
After my visitors left, it was time to check on my healing. The doctors say my incision looks great but I'm not so sure. They had to take out some of the staples when they went back in to make sure there wasn't a leak. So now I have stitches in their place. If it looks a li'l sore believe me it is. I'm not sure if I'm gonna have a belly button anymore either. I guess this will be more evidence that I was really hatched.
Now that I was off the ventilator, it was time to start my rehabilitation. Mama is good at making sure I am working to get strong enough to get out of bed soon. I don't think I'm ready to make a workout video yet, but I am getting better.
Don't I look ready for an exciting day?
Ace giving me a morning pep talk.
I don't think he's quite awake yet either.
Nurse Jen making sure everything is ready to go.
A quick breakfast and we're ready to go.
Which one would you choose?
Mom Finnegan checking up on my progress.
This is Brenda's second trip out to see me. I think she's a li'l worried about me. Don't worry Mama B. I'm gonna be just fine.
Mrs. Callahan is so sweet to come be with me.
I think Gram looks a li'l worried about her favorite granddaughter.
But she knows I get my toughness from her, so this will be easy.
Now that I could communicate a li'l bit I had lots to say. I wanted to use sign language, but no one else knew how to read it. I knew there was one person that could translate for me, my sister Heidi. Here is me writing Heidi's name on Ace's hand to let him know that I wanted to see her.
/\/\/\CAUTION: PICTURE AHEAD MAY CAUSE NAUSEA...PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!/\/\/\
After my visitors left, it was time to check on my healing. The doctors say my incision looks great but I'm not so sure. They had to take out some of the staples when they went back in to make sure there wasn't a leak. So now I have stitches in their place. If it looks a li'l sore believe me it is. I'm not sure if I'm gonna have a belly button anymore either. I guess this will be more evidence that I was really hatched.
Sorry to those who are a li'l squeemish.
I think Ace needed a li'l comforting after seeing this.
/\/\/\THE GREAT ESCAPE/\/\/\
At around 2:00 I decided that I had had enough. This ventilator thing was noisy and uncomfortable. And the doctors wanted to leave it in for another whole day. I had tried to pull it out earlier that morning but was unsuccessful. As a result, they had strapped down my wrists in an attempt to restrain me. When the nurse walked out o' the room to get more sedation meds, I saw my opening. I moved my face close enough to my hands to get a hold o' the tubes and yanked them out. Free at last, free at last!! When the nurse returned to the room she could not believe it. She quickly put an oxygen mask on me and called for the doctor. When the doctor arrived he saw that I was maintaining my oxygen level just fine on the mask. So they decided to forget the ventilator and let me breathe on my own.
Can you tell I'm ready to be off this thing?
Summoning all my strength.
These things will never hold me!!
FREEDOM!!
Don't I look much happier?
Don't I look much happier?
Heidi is proud o' her baby sister.
So glad Amanda could come to see my victory over ventilation.
Ace is glad to be able to talk to his beautiful wife again.
Now that I was off the ventilator, it was time to start my rehabilitation. Mama is good at making sure I am working to get strong enough to get out of bed soon. I don't think I'm ready to make a workout video yet, but I am getting better.
/\/\/\THE END/\/\/\
