He's Home!!!
Yesterday was a good day. Kaden was unhooked from all the tubing and was feeling pretty good. They basically kept him under watch to make sure that he was able to keep food down and that pain could be kept under control with oral medication.
He had a bit of a rough night last night. He couldn't sleep and had a weird coughing jag that made him throw up a couple of times. Kaden was worried that it might put his discharge from the hospital back another day, but the surgical team felt confident that it was from the coughing and not from the surgery.
The discharge team came around noon and we were walking out the door around 1pm. I made him take one last picture just before we walked out of the room. He was feeling pretty good, so he was able to walk to the car and not be wheeled out so that was a good feeling. The brown paper bag in his hand is all of the meds he needs to take over the next 3 weeks...and yes it is FULL! So crazy!
The drive home was a bit emotional. I think the time he spent in the hospital felt a bit like "survival mode," but when he got to the car the gravity of the situation and surgery finally caught up to him. He said, "I can't believe what I just did!" I said, "Yeah, it's crazy," and we talked about the week and the different experiences we both had.
When we pulled into our cul-de-sac we saw a sign the girls and our neighbors put up in our yard. It really lifted Kaden's spirits to know that so many people care for him. Then we walked into the house there were posters on the doors and on the walls from our kids and the neighbor kids. It was really cute and super sweet of them! We sure love our little cul-de-sac and the neighbors/friends we have surrounding us!
We were able to get Kaden showered and into bed. It is amazing that something seemingly so simple takes so much time when you are recovering from a surgery. Since we have been home, Kaden has been feeling all over the place with pain and nausea. One minute he is good and the next minute he is in pain and feels nauseous. We called the doctor's office and they were able to prescribe another medication for nausea that is a little stronger than the one he came home with, so we are hoping that helps!
One of the things that relieves the pain is walking. It's weird because it seems so counter-intuitive. Usually if you feel bad, you lay down or slow down; the last thing you want to do is walk. However, walking helps keep the bowels moving so you don't get backed up and relieves a lot of pressure. Luckily, the weather is co-operating and allowing us to do laps around our cul-de-sac every couple of hours. Kaden said he hates that he has to be so public about his recovery, but the pain is stronger than his pride, so outside to walk we go!
The last lap we did, I told Kaden to stand by the sign and fake a smile. He is so good to humor me even when he doesn't feel great! Ha!
