The Amazing Atticus: Post-Fontan Day 4

Hi all! I realize it'll actually be Post-Fontan Day 5 by the time any of you get to read this (because its already almost midnight on Day 4), but we've had a very busy Sunday! First, we made it 8D late yesterday!!! Hooray! Now I can actually stay in the hospital overnight with Atticus. He was like a completely different kid the minute we got up here. He started smiling and giggling, and was actually happy! A complete 180 from being in the PCICU. Second, our heart buddy from www.mom2lo.com got to go home today!! We are so thrilled for them! He had his Fontan on the Friday before ours, and he has done amazingly well. What a rockstar!

We've had a pretty good day here on 8D. It all started with breakfast...Atticus actually wanted some today! Hooray! He ate a whole egg, an almost whole bowl of cereal with whole milk, 3 bites of vanilla yogurt, and 1 bite of a blueberry muffin! Can you tell its been since Tuesday night since he really ate anything?! We managed to keep it down along with some apple juice.

Before lunch, we had another awesome thing happen...Atticus got his center chest tube taken out!! Oh Lord, you are too good to us! That means he only has two chest tubes left to go. Yay! Those are still draining though. The docs noticed a small pocket of fluid around Atticus' right lung, so I'm not expecting those out any time too soon.

We next attempted some chicken strips and french fries for lunch. That didn't go as well as breakfast. Atticus managed to eat most of 1 chicken strip and a few fries before his lunch decided to make a grand reappearance. :( I think it was too heavy on his little tummy. He did manage to keep down a few bites of vanilla pudding and half an ice cream bar, so that's progress, right? Lol.

Next, we finally got Atticus comfy in a pair of his own pajamas and headed down to the Atrium (aka the really awesome playroom). Getting him down there is still a bit of an ordeal since he has chest tubes, the collection boxes attached to each tube, an oxygen tank, and the wireless monitor/leads that allow the nurses to track his O2 and heart rate, even when we're downstairs. His little wagon was all loaded up! But it was all worth it to see the smile on his face once we got there and he started playing with toys. He was so happy! We stayed down there for the better part of an hour and a half; until he turned pale and was about to fall asleep sitting up. I told him we needed to head upstairs and he kept telling me "no" and that he wanted to play, but I wheeled him back upstairs and he didn't really try to fight me.

We also had Paw-paw and Grandma C come visit us today. They surprised Atticus in the playroom and brought him a sweet little plush Snoopy. Then they followed us upstairs for what was the only "bad" part of today.

Once we got back upstairs, Atticus had to have the dressing changed on the IV line in his neck. The dressing had started to peel off, which was bothering him and causing him to mess with it, and we definitely don't want that line to come out because it would mean having to get stuck with a needle over and over again everytime the nurses had to draw blood for his labs. Not ideal. Changing that dressing is a "sterile procedure", so Atticus had to wear a mask (which he hated) and ended up with 3 people holding him still so that his nurse could clean the site and change the bandages. And unfortunately, its not quick like putting on a new band-aid, so by the time it was all said and done, he was beet red and sweaty from struggling and crying the whole time. :( But the good news was that he got a little Oxy with it, so he didn't stay mad for long! Plus I crawled into his bed to cuddle him for a little bit, so that made him happy.

After Paw-paw and Grandma C left later in the evening, Atticus and I just sat around watching some "Signing Time" and playing on the tablet. He never would take more than a 15 minute power nap, even though I could tell he was absolutely exhausted. (Just goes to show what a fighter he is!). So I ordered him some dinner, which he managed to keep down. (Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a brownie for dessert!). We watched some more TV, and he continued to refuse to fall asleep, so I turned off the TV and sat in a chair out of his direct line of sight so that he would go to sleep. He finally passed out a little after 10PM. Whew! They weren't kidding when they told me he would have more energy after the Fontan! Lol!

All in all, it was a busy and productive day here on 8D. We still have a long way to go with healing before we can make it out of here though. Thank you all for continuing to check in on us. It means a lot. But mostly, just keep on prayin'! (Its doing wonders!) ;)