HKU Day 1

Last night was an okay night. Cam woke up for around 5:30am having slept almost 10 hours. He threw up almost immediately after waking (on me, himself and all over the bed). And threw up probably a half hour after that, after trying to eat some saltines and drink some water. Mary - our great night nurse - said that the medicine is still causing his system to get thrown off and this was "normal" for what his body has gone through. They put him on an anti-nausea medicine until he was eating better.

Since we had to bathe and change clothes twice, we were a little cranky with the X-ray tech when they came in around 6:20 to get a chest x ray.

However, our mood improved throughout the day. For the first time since Thursday morning, I saw this sweet boy smile and laugh. He loves balloons and since balloons aren't allowed in the hospital, we did the next best thing - blew up some gloves (with his day nurse Maddie's okay). We play fought with them and that smile just made it all worth it.

We had another EKG and in the afternoon, we had our pacemaker wires removed. Cameron was never on a pacemaker - however, the lines are put into all open-heart surgery children in case their hearts start beating out or rhythm while they are here and need to be placed on one. The process was very tough, and he was very upset to have it done. The nurses removed his bandage and we got to see his "schwoop" for the first time. He does not like to look at it right now, but we got directions on how to care for it and what would be expected in the upcoming weeks.

WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEOS & IMAGES

The video below is very hard to watch - but it is a very real idea of what Cam has gone through. Each time something is removed there us typically 2-4 stitches that need to be cut out for the item to be removed. Some of the things have to then be restitched (chest drain) where others are just gauzed and taped to clot. It broke my heart to have to see him go through these, but it is just a testament to how strong he is. I'd also like to note, I am NOT covering his mouth, I am holding his face to mine. This is something he does all the time with me when he needs to be comforted.

After the lines were removed, he was so tired and just wanted to be held and rest. I wasn't able to get too far from him, but I was okay with that.

After a three-hour nap, we ordered some dinner - he actually ate mac and cheese! We went for a walk around the unit (some of you were tuned in to Facebook Live) and then took a sponge bath and changed into clean jammies.

We were told that we would probably be discharged tomorrow because he was doing so well. He still has not had a bowel movement - something they are trying to make happen before we leave. And I was told this evening that they would be doing another EKG and another set of labs (which they will have to stick him for) before we are discharged. It doesn't matter the timeline for me - whatever is best for Cam is best for all of us. He desperately wants to get home to his kittens and to his house to relax. He is most definitely tired of having tubes stuck to him.

I will keep you posted with our progress and whatever happens in the coming days and weeks!