From room on Giraffe 4

Well, we're back into the hospital thing. Wren is in his metal crib and wrapped in those green, red and yellow bunny blankets. He has a heart monitor, a respiration monitor and a saturation monitor and is pissed off about it.

Anesthesia just came around and said Wren is the first case in one of the cath labs tomorrow morning which means he should start before 8am and leave the room by 7.30am. They want him to avoid nursing for 4-6 hours prior but may not need an IV unless they want to give him fluids during that time. Actually, we have just been told no nursing after 4am.

He is very grunty and complainy in the meanwhile.

We have also met:
1) Colleen the student nurse from Seattle U who will be following our case.
2) Our nurse Janelle.
3) The cardiology residents.
4) The cardiology doctor on call tonight.

We have yet to meet the cardiology doctor performing the cath procedure.

I went home for a short while to collect some things for Wren and it struck me how totally unprepared we were for this situation. The baby monitor is still on recording our empty bedroom, Wrens stuff is lying all over and the little seat he sits in while I make breakfast still has his blanket draped over it. We didn't even bring a binkie. I was so sure everything was going to be okay.

Now we are back adding to Wren's medical chart instead of reading books in bed and snuggling on the couch. It sucks.

I have asked if we can move to the part of the room by the window - we are in a double room and the other child was just moved out. They said okay but there is no-one to clean it so I am stranded in the shadowy side looking out over laurelhurst from a distance. Its scary, but its almost teh same view we had when Wren was sickest - in the Cardiac ICU. Although he still looks good now I can't help but wonder how much of this personality I ascribe to him is his own and how much is him struggling somehow with a compromised heart.

I am also hungry and need to make a dash for The Nourishment Room for some water and peanut butter. If I am going to be miserable I may as well do it with a mouthful of peanutbutter on wonder Bread.