The Dr.'s and nurses stopped by regularly. "Elisabeth, can you hear me? Your mom and dad are here!"
She opened her eyes and smiled at me. "What?? I'm done??" Close eyes.
"Honey, you're done. How are you feeling?" She opened her eyes again. "Um, my brain feels like it's working better."
Could she know that already?? Is that the meds talking?? How amazing that she said that so soon!!
The neurologist came in. She was still mostly sleeping. "Elisabeth. Can you wiggle your toes?" Wiggle. "Elisabeth, can you hold up your hands?" The hands went up. "Hold them like this, like you're holding a pizza." She did. "What's your favorite kind of pizza?" "ummmm." "Cheese? Supreme? Pepperoni?"
"It would probably be the pepperoni." Close eyes.
Scott and I looked at each other. Did she just say that? Her verbal was fine!!!!!
She spent the first night in the PICU. Not a place for the faint of heart. It was loud. And busy. And she hurt. Her blood pressure spiked. I was trying to find her help that just didn't exist. She was crying and I was crying.
Her anesthesiologist happened to come in right then. He saw what was happening and called Dr. Curry. Dr. Curry came in like a knight in shining armor, and gave her more pain meds. Her blood pressure instantly dropped to normal, and she calmed down. I wish we could forget that night, but it happened. She doesn't remember it very much. And, she was rescued. Enough said.
The afternoon following surgery, she got a good MRI report, and was able to move upstairs. Her own room at last!!!
The gibberish should start soon. I was dreading that part. She kept resting and talking. "Do you remember that picture of the happy girl eating the happy popsicle?? Well, they lied. It's not like that AT ALL!!"
Perfect memory. Perfect verbal. No gibberish. Hurray!!!!!
I started wondering about what was under the cap bandage. Would she have a big bald spot, with deep red cuts running through it?
Scott spent the nights there, and I cuddled my other sweethearts. When I came in on Saturday morning, she was sitting up in bed and smiling. "Can we snuggle?" she asked.
Oh, the bliss. I climbed up onto her hospital bed with her frail little self, and just reveled in her life, her energy, her strength. After about five minutes, she was ready for a rest. But, I was on cloud nine the rest of the day. My baby was all right. She was going to be all right.
The Dr. came in and removed the bandage with the little cap. Huge bunches of matted, caramel colored hair tumbled down. "Where was the incision again?" asked the Dr. "Over her left ear." He had to look for it. "It's looking great! I could hardly find it."
Her hair was all there. I don't think she was missing a single one. Bless Dr. Curry. He's an angel in disguise.
She was supposed to be in the hospital for five days. On her second night, Saturday, she decided she wanted to get out of her room. She walked the hall. Saw her nurses from EEG week. Laughed and smiled and chatted with them. Sat on a rocking chair, and met her siblings in the hallway. She was so proud of herself.
"Can I go home? I just want to go home."
Dr. Curry said, they always convalesce better at home. Since there was no real reason to keep her there, she could go in the morning!!!!
So, after an all-day surgery on Thursday, she was out of PICU on Friday, walking the halls on Saturday, and home on Sunday. Her brain was working, her body was working, she was perfect. The worst was behind us. All she had to do was rest and heal.
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, He increaseth strength." Isaiah 40:29
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