The Healing Wall

Today marks the three month anniversary since Parker first went into the hospital with a case of acute pancreatitis. Three months!

This photo shows only a small section of Parker's get well wall. You can only see 1/3 of the cards and notes and drawings we have hung, they wouldn't fit in the window. But for those who want to know, these make a huge difference in his spirits.

NG tube went back in yesterday morning. By the end of the day it had suctioned out so much nasty, gross and disgusting stuff from his stomach and upper part of his small intestine, I can't believe he wasn't more cranky and complaining more about being nauseous. Truly.

So now we are waiting for the stomach to decompress, which will take pressure off the small intestines and hopefully help resolve the ileus. They have begun decreasing the amount of Dilauded he gets (apparently he was on a super hefty dose for a long time) and I imagine by tomorrow I will be hearing about it from him. But if we don't get him off the narcotics the ileus just isn't going to go anywhere. It is holding us back from moving on to a rehab center.

For the first time last night, actually at 4:am this morning, Parker was able to feel the sensation of needing to go to the bathroom (sorry, if you aren't used to the graphic details by now, stop reading). We worked lightening fast and got him unhooked from the NG tube, the trach tube, the heart monitor, breathing monitor, BP cuff, moved the catheter and the wound-vac machine out of the way, unplugged his IV pole, got the bed deflated, and Parker up and onto the commode in record time! Without pain meds! It was a really big deal. It meant to him that he is getting a little more control over his body, which is huge. Of all the things he has gone through ~ other than finding out we were told he was dying twice ~ this aspect of his illness has caused him the most distress.

So that was last night. His nurse for the past few days, Miranda, is off now and we have the slow moving nurse who let him go without pain meds for 3 hours over Easter weekend, right before he went into shock. So I will have a conversation with her if I see she isn't keeping up with what he is now allowed to have. Miranda is the one whose brother-in-law is the center for the Oklahoma football team and is expected to go in the 4th round of the draft next year.

Amy is here today but not working in Parker's room. But she popped her cherrful little head in for a few minutes and I will ask her to check on him for me during the day while I am out.