No More Worms

Yesterday Cole and I got up at 5:00 a.m. and headed to Levine Children's Hospital for our 6:00 a.m. appointment to have the chest tubes taken out.
We went to the 5th floor just like all the other times before a procedure. We went through all the questions the anesthesia team needs to ask to ensure the best result for the patient being put under and coming out of anesthesia.
Cole was screaming at anyone who came in the door. So they brought in a medication called Versed. We now know Cole is a happy drunk. He was laughing to himself and slurring "To Infinity and Mond" which is what Buzz says. I would look at him in my arms and he would just cackle. It was good to see him laugh again:) He had the anethesia team and myself laughing so hard there were tears.
Once the Versed was in full effect I was allowed to walk back and be in the room as they put him under. I then went to the 5th floor waiting room like all the other times but this time not for heart procedures and not for hours of waiting. In about 20 minutes they came and got me and took me to Cole's recovery room. They said they had sewn his holes up and to keep the special bandages on for 48 hours to keep any air from getting in just to be safe. They wanted to watch Cole for a bit after the tubes were removed to see how he came out of anesthesia and also to make sure there were no surprises with respiratory emergencies in case air had gotten in the holes from the chest tubes when they removed them.
We had one more x-ray done before we left and it was even more clear of fluid than the day before. Very comforting to go home with!
I took Cole through Dunkin Donuts drive through to celebrate with a chocolate frosted donut with sprinkles. He loves to eat just the chocolate frosting and sprinkles off and then he's done with the rest of it. I looked back at him just to get a good look at having his breast reduction done:) Nah. but it was so good to see him without these extra body parts that had become a part of him for the past two weeks. When I looked back his face was covered in chocolate and it was a glimpse of our Cole before surgery and it made me smile to myself as we drove home. It was a good feeling to be one more step close to getting Cole recovered!
I scooped Cole out of his carseat at home in our new way of life right now with no lifting Cole under his arms until November. I carried him inside with his chocolate face and set him on the couch to clean his face up. As I am cleaning his face he starts singing just like a happy drunk walking home. It was a little "ohhhhhhhh" note held for a long note and he even added a little vibrato at the end and then some things mumbled in song and then a burst of "ohhhhhhhh" and some more "ohhhhh" and then chuckling to himself. He had Sharon and I in tears from laughing. He had to stay put because when he tried to stand up and walk he would start walking to the side in a lean and there is no falling allowed right now in recovery.
He stayed like this for the rest of the day into evening and then when it started wearing off he became a grouchy mean drunk. They did warn us about this at the hospital with it wearing off.

Having those blasted tubes out has made the rest of recovery seem not so overwhelming. With those being gone I think all of us, Cole included, lifted a weight that was able to give us a new perspective on the rest of recovery. We have 4-5 more weeks of hovering over Cole, but we are on the other side of surgery and recovery is going in the right direction.

We have to do clothing that zips or buttons right now so we don't bring his arms over his head. Here is Cole in his Mickey pj's.(they are his G rated pair of Hugh Hefner red pjs minus the bunnies) and BBQ Lays chips that Auntie K brought by for him yesterday after our trip downtown. As you can see from the expression happy drunk is gone.




I wasn't able to make it back home to take Ava to school and go in for her birthday but Matt and I were both able to go to her school to surprise her and pick her up. Matt went back to work and I took Ava to McDonalds or as Cole calls it Mic and Donalds.

Ava did get what she wanted for her birthday and that was Cole home safe from the hospital.