She's coming HOME!!!

On Monday, Vivi had a spine xray after a week of lying flat. Lying flat may sound like a difficult task for a 2 year old, but in all honesty, she really couldn't sit up on her own if she wanted to. Her back has healed very nicely and her xray was great. Back to rehab we went!!!

I was really concerned with how far back the surgery and lying flat for a week was going to set us. I am just OVER being in the hospital. I want to stay as long as she needs, and not a second longer! 

Monday afternoon they did her evaluation, and she really hadn't lost much. It was painful for her to stand and walk.. but she did well. She really hadn't lost anything, but was just very tight and careful. 

Every Tuesday, the rehab staff and everyone involved in the patient's cases, have a meeting discussing how each patient is doing. At that meeting, they decided Vivian was not behind on her discharge date at all. She will be discharged THIS Friday, the 23rd. AHHHHH!!! The physical therapist told me at therapy and when we came back the nurse said "I have good news for you, but from your behavior, I can tell you already know." Haha no poker face at all. I couldn't contain my excitement!!!!

My excitement immediately turned to nervousness. Vivian still won't take any medications (which was her strong point throughout this.. even on her worst days, she used to be the bomb at taking medications.. not anymore!!). She won't drink. And she only snacks. Luckily, she loves almonds, terra chips, popcorn and carrots. Oh, and BACON! So.. she gets a little nutrition.. but not a ton. 

In my heart, I feel like she will respond so much better in her own environment. I think we have pushed and pushed and pushed her in this hospital "Eat this, now!".. "Drink.. drink now.. drink and then I'll do "xyz" for you.. drink and then YOU can do "xyz"".. "Take this medicine.. it's purple! It's pink!.. Take this medicine so you feel better!" ...I mean, we have come at this kid in so many directions.. she has heard all our tricks. She's over it. She refuses everything orally. I'm praying at home, she feels comfortable and just eats when we eat.. drinks when Bryn drinks.. takes her meds easily..

That's my hope. But realistically, taking the tube out of her nose and hoping for those things isn't logical. What if she doesn't.. if she eats and drinks like she does now, she'll end up right back in the hospital. We can't take the risk of taking out the tube in hopes she'll make a 180. So.. we will be discharged with her NG tube. She will be on bolus feedings 4-5x a day.. and hopefully we can wean them off over the next month or so. 

Definitely complicates things.. but I can handle it as long as I have my people under one roof. I can do hard.. Hell, I've been doing impossible for 2 months. Hard, I can handle. 

We will go home with her walker, wheelchair, back brace, leg braces, stitches, NG tube and.. MY GIRL!!!! 

The stitches will come out in a few weeks. She will come back to have them removed under anesthesia. Her incision looks amazing still!!!!

Lots of hard work ahead. Lots of doctors appointments. Lots of therapy. Jake and I have the next week and a half off. We were actually supposed to be leaving for Charleston this Friday so we had next week scheduled off for vacation. I'm not sure yet that our week off together will actually feel like a vacation. I'm ready to figure out our new normal and continue to get my girl on the right track. It'll be nice to have everyone home for a week so we can all be together and figure out what our house needs to be Vivi prepared. I've tried to think of everything.. but.. I know it'll change all the time. 

We are super excited to have our girl home and to see everyone. However, I do ask that everyone is very sensitive to the fact that our girl will need a lot of care once she is home and we will not be up for long visits.. or many visits at all. 

Or maybe we will be?! I'm not sure. We just don't know what the next few days.. weeks.. months will bring. Please be sensitive to my "No". 

I would love to do a cookout for my girl to see everyone.. but I need to see how comfortable she is at home. As of right now, she doesn't even want to go home. That's honestly a blessing, because it would be so hard to hear her say she wants to go home all the time when she can't.. but now that it's happening, I was hoping she would be a little more excited. She will be when the time comes.. she loves our house. We will see. At some point, I'm sure we will have people over to have a cookout.. we just have to feel it out. 

I can't WAIT to bust my girl out of here Friday. Whirlwind of emotions. It'll be awesome to see my girl with her dogs and sisters again. Thank you everyone for the support throughout the hospital stay. 45 days. Whew! It's too much!