Home again,home again, jiggity jig!

The PICU doctors took Philo off his respiratory support yesterday afternoon by removing his CPAP face mask and test driving him on room air. Usually you have to step down by degree (CPAP to high flow oxygen to nasal cannula) but they just took off his face mask and he did just fine! There were no steps down, he was simply done. So they observed him and one by one the wires came off/out.  I did not barf when the feeding tube that was down to his intestine was yanked out. I was allowed to feed him again for the first time in 8 days. If I never see a breast pump again it will be too soon.

We were moved to the infant wing and then discharged the following morning. I practically danced out of that hospital of sadness.  I don't know how people can deal with the emotions of working there. 

Betty Lou is still fighting this horrible virus. She's been home for the last few days with my mother in law Kleis who has taken good care of her. Because she is so little she has a hard time expelling the mucus so I take her to the suction clinic, or Snot Shack. It's preventative so that her bronchiolitis doesn't progress into pneumonia. She loathes the suctioning of course.

So Children's is still temporarily in my life.  We left at noon and returned at 4. But hopefully we will never be inpatient again.  

I am so grateful for all the help, love and support from all my people. My family feels very loved. I hope none of you ever have to watch your child struggle but I can say definitively that I am tougher now. Where I used to have to avoid hearing stories of people's sick kids because it was just too scary for me I've taken a crash course in empathy. I will be able to parlay these experiences into being a real support to others rather than a big fat coward.

But man, this SUCKED.