Post Op Day 1

Friday, August 16th

Our night in the PICU was by far one of the most sleepless nights we faced. Avery was not able to get up or move around. She was hooked up to various monitors, IVs, an arterial line, and her newly placed EVD(External Ventricular Drain). She refused oral pain meds and was combative. She was in pain what seemed like most of the night. Finally we made the decision to give her a dose of morphine which allowed her to rest her mind and body for a couple of hours. In a lucid moment she told me she wanted to leave because "They didn't have anything but boring stuff to do". She didn't realize that she had been anything but boring for the rest of us.

The day time was no different except a change in nurses. She still refused meds, along with food and drink. She kicked and hit each time a medical person tried to touch her. She was constantly pulling at wires and leads. She took off her hospital gown and refused to put it back on. She was threatened with restraints and also offered anything she could ever want. No amount of negotiation or bribery would work on her. She was dead set on being in charge.

Unlike Special Care, the PICU leaves you feeling exposed. There are double doors to your room that stay open all of the time. There are lights and noises and hourly checks that make sleep nearly impossible. There are also the stares and sympathetic looks you receive from the passersby. You felt like you were stuck in an exhibit at the zoo.

She had a post-op MRI done to ensure the mass of the tumor was gone. Thankfully, the results were good and exactly what we expected. This meant that an additional surgery would not be required at this time.

When we had lost all hope of getting out of the PICU that night, we were miraculously moved to the post-surgery unit. This turned out to be a new trial of its own.