Surgery #1

The first major surgery went well, according to the surgeon.

We can judge recovery in part by pain management. Surgery was on Tuesday for 5 hours. By Friday the only remaining pain medication was Tylenol every 4 hours or so, finished with the nerve block, the morphine, the oxycodone, and the toradol. Screen time is also a marvelous narcotic.

We can judge recovery in part by mobility. He could walk with support about 5 feet on Thursday, 50 feet on Friday, and 75 feet more frequently on Saturday morning. He could walk on his own about 5 feet on Saturday morning. By Saturday evening he was walking a bit on his own with an old man’s stoop, and starting to tackle stairs. Today he is walking on his own with more ease, more endurance, improving posture, and more confidence.

We can judge recovery in part by conversation. A few days ago all he could handle was watching television, with perhaps a brief discussion about what he was watching. Today he is telling us stories, happy to see friends, and asserting himself in ways other than protest mode.

There are months of recovery ahead for his intestines as they try to heal from 4 years of invisible damage. We will have numerous follow-up appointments with the surgeon, with his pediatrician, with a motility specialist, with a variety of specialty nurses at the hospital and at our home, with a psychologist or two, and probably others. They tell us it will become easier to manage, that kids are incredibly resilient, and that even his very worn out parents will adapt to the new normal. They tell us these things because they believe them, and because they need us to believe them. They are partially true. Or rather they are entirely true, but they are only a part of the truth.

David had a good day today. The sun was warm, he played with friends for hours, he ate tasty food, he watched some favorite Curious George episodes, he opened some presents, he played in the playground, and he met two new dogs.

I had a good day today, beyond seeing my son having a good day. I went to an interesting talk by the Consul General of Germany to New England and chatted with him afterwards, friends came to visit, and the sun was warm.

Calm will come. And with calm, recovery can continue.

The first major surgery went well.