Post - op Day 3

It truly amazes me the progress Avery has made in these past 3 days! Today Avery added walking to her list of accomplishments post - surgery. After she was done with the walking and settled back down, she said the walking didn't bother her at all, but the getting up to walking and the sitting back down afterwards hurts - and that hurt scares her, so she doesn't really want to do it. And I feel like perhaps we have different motivations for this, so I will need to rethink my encouragements. Pre - surgery we had explained that in order for her to come home she needed to eat, poop, and walk. Post - surgery we have added the interim step of the removal of the catheter and all her lines including her pain pump in the pre - pooping stage. Today she said she didn't really want the catheter out because then she would have to get up and walk to the washroom ... so I need a better sell.

I was excited when I got here today to hear that he ate a whole apple. Lunch didn't go over as well with all the walking and sitting in a chair for 3 hours, but I held out some hope for dinner. Aunt Kari showed up mid afternoon with the promised snuck in mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins, which Avery gratefully accepted. She managed to eat a tablespoon or so of that then needed a rest. One of the excellent staff came by to see what she wanted for dinner - the Friday night special being meatloaf with mashed potatoes and peas - she wasn't interested in the meatloaf, but asked for the potatoes - with gravy - and a bowl of soup and some apple slices. This was apparently a very odd dinner order, as the guy who brought up the tray called me to make sure this was actually what she wanted. She ate a tablespoon of potatoes and a spoonful of soup then pushed the tray away. I think she is starting to get the link between food and poop.

She has been drinking tea. Maybe not the ideal beverage for a 12 year old, but on the beer scale of urine colours, she is clearly sufficiently hydrated.

The video chat with her class did her wonders, and the cheers and applause when she announced she walked was amazing - I think Andrew said it brought a tear to his eye, well it did to mine too (mind you when I stalked by one of her friend's house this morning to pass on that it would be nice if they could call her again today, I had  tear then too)  she really has some awesome friends. Her teacher is hoping to make it up for a visit, if not Sunday then early next week, and around dinner her Principal called to see how she was doing.

Andrew said she had been consistent with her pain pump for the first 2 days at about 200 hits each day, and unless something goes south later today, I am certain that number will be significantly less tomorrow - which also heads us the right direction to transition her to oral pain meds and losing yet another line.

Andrew and I just moved her bed so she could still watch TV while she is on her side - I hope the nurses aren't upset :)

Thanks for following!