First, I wanted to express a big thank you to all of the followers of the blog, Fb page that have sent thoughts, cards, balloons, pictures, stuffed animal "friends" etc...to Stella. Her room has shaped up to feel festive and homey.
Yesterday, I ran into Nurse Alicia, whom I work with, in the CHM cafeteria... I seriously thought I was losing it when I heard a women's voice "Michelle", I looked up at the cafeteria worker who clearly thought I was a bit confused... She received a stuffed bear from my friends at Southfield Pediatrics whom she promptly named "Alec". Not sure if this is a shout-out to my son Alec or she named him in a post-dilauded stooper...either way it's cute!
Stella's night went a bit more restful last night, but the morning started with pain control issues again, vomiting and general abdominal discomfort. Of course, the entourage of morning staff entered the room early in the morning and it was decided to remove the last drain from her head in the afternoon. This drain is the one that is regulating the cerebral spinal fluid in the left ventrical post surgery. The hope is that Stella's brain has learned to balance this fluid itself now and it will be safe to remove. The concern would be that her left ventrical continues to overfil with CSF and there is deteriation of her neurological status...this may indicate she will be one of the 5% who will need a shunt placed which will remain the rest of her life. At this point, it would require another surgery.
I decided early today that tonight would be the night to spend the night with Stella and Erin at CHM. I busied myself ticking off my "to do" list I put on hold for the last week and packed my bags for the slumber party. Joe has been an awesome support for the boys at home and myself. In the midst of this week, we've delt with car repairs yesterday, built up dirty laundry, sport practices and other items that make up our daily lives....which reminds me, I forgot to put that last load of laundry in the dryer before I left home....
My trek down to CHM tonight was delayed by 20 mintes of traffic on 696 waiting in line to head south on 75...this would have been par for the course for the evening traffic in Metro Detroit, except when I reached my on ramp to 75, I realized I was waiting in the wrong lane the whole time. I was waiting in the ramp to go north, not south...that's why all those cars were wizzing by me at 100mph in the right lane...doh! Upon arriving at CHM, the bottom of my Chipoltle's Grill burritos bag broke open in the parking ramp and promply dumped Erin and my's food on the ramp floor. I'm thinking..."Really?" by this time...
Our evening was quiet, Stella and I played "War". (only got into a couple of discussions with her about cheating and stealing my cards). We talked and played with her new "Jungle Pocket" set...freshly supplied by one of the nurses during the day. Stella has brought sarcasm to a new level tonight stating "yah, yah, yah" when I speak...I thought to myself "maybe we should have had them take out the "smart-ass" cortex as well"....
...good night...I've got some slumber partying to do.....
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