What's Goin' On

Hello all,

I apologize for the lack of regular updates.  Once Ben got out of the ICU, things got a little bit overwhelming.  If I repeat myself in this post, please forgive me! I'm going to try to hit the highlights...

When Ben was released from the ICU on Sunday, we had no idea how much longer he might spend in the hospital or what the plan was for when he was released.  He had a long night on Sunday night, and a busy day on Monday.

Although we met with the discharge nurse and learned about the plan for Ben to do outpatient therapy (instead of inpatient) on Monday, we were pretty convinced he would still be in the hospital for Monday night at least.  We did know that everyone was waiting for a doctor to see/evaluate Ben and make a decision about discharging him.  The doctor arrived to do this at about 4:30 on Monday afternoon.  Since Dr. Asher was not available, we met with another doctor from his practice.  The doctor looked at Ben's incision, tested a few of his motor functions, and asked Ben if he wanted to go home that day.  Ben said yes!  The rest of us were a little bit nervous about this prospect, but Ben was ready, and it was obvious that his doctor thought he was ready as well.

From there, it was only about an hour before we were on our way home.  Ben got dressed, the nurse came by with all of the discharge notes, and we all asked our multiple questions about caring for Ben at home.

Ben arrived back home and had to immediately tackle the stairs.  He had both of his parents to support him, and he took his time (of course), but he made it just fine. It had definitely been helpful to practice stairs with the physical therapist in the hospital that morning, so that we all knew what to expect.  I think that practice also helped Ben feel more confident about his ability to function at home. He really handled the stairs remarkably well from the start!

So far, things have been good at home. Ben isn't supposed to lift, twist, or bend too much at this point, but he has been encouraged to walk and do as much as possible for himself to practice all those motor skills.  He is still battling a few lingering stomach issues which is a bit frustrating.  He did sleep well on his first night home, and he has napped some today which is reassuring.  We all knew he would rest better here at home, and we are glad he is able to relax a little.

Ben can't be alone at home, and he certainly can't drive at this point.  I am so grateful that I have this leave from work, and I am even more grateful that I am getting to spend it at home with Ben instead of at the hospital with him!

He will start his physical and occupational therapy this coming Monday at CMC-University.  We are eager to see how the initial evaluation goes and what we're looking at for therapies moving forward.  We will actually have a pretty busy day that day because it is the same day he will have his sutures removed.

We have had so much help from family and friends that I can't even begin to say thank yous without leaving someone out. Please know that we are very grateful for each and every gesture, visit, package, card, gift, phone call, text message, thought, and prayer.

I will certainly keep posting as Ben continues to heal. Maybe we have a picture of his awesome scar to look forward to?? :-)