Bryan Family Blessings : Post Op Day 1

**WARNING: Jace's incision pictures are on this post**

Last night was terrible. Jace was what they called hyper agitated! This started around 1:45 am.

They decided to change the morphine from every 4 hours to every 2 hours.

After another dose of morphine and still didn't calm down. At 2:30 when he was still flailing and going crazy they went another route. Precedex was ordered. This was a sedative that helps to calm the agitation and let him sleep. Also, we needed him to stop pulling on anything he was grabbing before he pulled out an IV. He had already tried to pull off his bandage on his head.

Finally at 2:45 he calmed down and rested until about 6:30.

At 8 am we were transferred back to EMU! We were so glad. We are not a fan of the PICU at all!

I know it was needed but there were too many wires required and too many alarms and monitors going off.

Also, the nurses just weren't quite the compassionate ones we get in the EMU.

Jace took his seizure meds today pretty well. We praise and praise him for this hoping he keeps it going :)

Thank you for those prayers - they were answered!

Actually the prayer for him to take his syringes was answered SO well that he will only drink apple juice from the syringe LOL I don't mind since he doesn't seem too interested in any of his sippy cups.

Once we got settled in the EMU and ordered breakfast we all napped for a good 1 1/2 hours. MUCH needed! When we woke up we found that Jace took of his bandage. This was ok since they were going to remove it today anyway. He didn't take it all off, just the top bandage.

Jace was pretty hungry once he woke up and ate well. This was the most he had eaten since Thursday!

He scarfed down a pancake, bacon, grapes, and some Cheerios.

Justin's sister, Misty, came to visit at lunch time. She brought JB and I lunch and Jace a couple of loveys.

Thank you SO much Aunt Mitty! :) Jace enjoyed being loved on by you!

It was nap time again for all of us when she left.

I was so grateful for the 2 naps today - we all needed it after last night.

Dr. Tandon stopped by and said he thought Jace looked like he was doing great and we would have the drainage tube removed tonight or tomorrow. We were anxious to get it removed but then again dreading it since we were told he would need a staple.

Dr. Von Allmen also stopped by later on and said she was so glad he was doing so well!

No weakness on his right side and no complications of any kind that we have seen.

As the day got later we thought Jace's tube was going to be removed tomorrow.

At 5:30 Dr. Tandon's resident stopped by to remove the drainage tube! YAY!!

We got even better news - no staple!!! When they sutured up the drainage tube he left enough of the sutures to tie it up after removal. He snipped the tape that was holding the suture, pulled out the tube and tied the sutures up. It was all over in about 3 minutes!! The best part of all this was they used dissolvable sutures for everything! I was not looking forward to removing the stitches but we won't have to! Jace cried for a small moment when the tube was pulled out. The nurse was telling us earlier that the adults and older kids tell her the tube being taken out is not painful - it just feels VERY weird. Like a snake under your skin.

He kind of resembles Caillou now...... LOL

No more drain makes us ALL happier!

Justin's friend from work, Cesar, came by to visit around 7 pm tonight.

He also was impressed on how well Jace looked after all he went through.

Thank you for the company Cesar!

Being silly with Dada!

While Cesar was visiting one of our nurses that we like a lot took Jace out of the room for a bit to look around. They hung out for a good 20 minutes! :)

Jace likes people a lot and ate that up!

At 8:30 it was time for him to wind down. He was rubbing his eyes and all. We gave him a sponge bath, got a fresh gown and diaper then it was night night time.

I was rocking him and he was whispering, then would sigh and say "dada" LOL He loves his Dada!

The rest of the incision on his head.....