She's Back!

May 25, 2009

Today Airica was doing even better!  They did the routine daily chest x-ray and her lungs were close to normal.  The doctors said the remainder of healing would be from her breathing on her own, sitting more upright, and even standing.  Those steps were still to come, today we focused on breathing on her own and basic commands.  

When the doctors said basic commands I am pretty sure they meant us asking Airica to blink or lift her arms, but we got much more specific demands from Airica.  She wanted to see her presents, she wanted me to read her all her get well cards, and she wanted Hannah Montana 24/7.  She was snapping her fingers at us to get our attention, she was giving us thumbs up for what she wanted and thumbs down for what she didn't.  She was so silly, funny, and she was the one one dishing out the commands.

As you can see from the picture one of her gifts was a laptop computer.  She was so excited to have her own computer.  She wanted it set up in front of her so she could see it.  She looked at it and was so grateful for such a big gift.  She lifted her hands to the keyboard and she realized she had little control over her fingers.  She was sad and very confused.  She looked at me in disbelief, wanting an explanation.  I told her that she had been asleep for a long time, her fingers were out of practice, and it would take some time to get back to normal.

Airica didn't like that answer too much.  She had a laptop to play with and she needed to text ASAP!  She was back to her almost normal self.  Still, she couldn't talk but we could hear her loud and clear.  She insisted on trying to press the buttons on the keyboard.  She was so determined.  

 If you notice there is a small tube in her left nostril, that was her feeding tube.  It gave her the nutrition and vitamins that she needed while she was asleep and couldn't eat.  She noticed it and she disliked it just as much, or maybe a little more than the breathing tube.  She was very awake and could comprehend the things that we were saying to her and she would respond in her own way.  We told her we would loosen her arm straps so that she could move around and wake up her atrophied muscles but that it was very important that she not mess with the tubes.  She nodded in agreement.

 She totally tricked us.  As soon as no one was looking, she grabbed a hold of that feeding tube and pulled it out.  At first we didn't notice.  She was smiling so big and was so happy, then she lifted her hand to proudly show me that she had removed the tube.  I was freaking out!  Airica is crazy!  I know we already determined that...but seriously!  We had to tell the nurses who thought it was pretty funny.  Then they proceeded to tell her that it had to be put back in, but that it could wait until tomorrow.  

Airica won that round.  She was so happy to have shed another attachment, even if only for the night.  It was pretty late and Airica was was wide awake and full of energy.  I knew it was going to be a long night.  I was ready!