The Other Damn Shoe

So you remember that whole "other shoe" thing? Well....it may be dropping today. More on that in a bit though.

Our car ride home was unbelievably easy. No.....really! Other than me getting lost on the way home (story for later), the trip was wonderful. The only hitch (other than getting lost) was me being too tired to think through David's positioning in the van ahead of time. Well, I sort of did but not thoroughly enough. It is here where I must admit that my friend Marni had text me and ask me the day before if I had the logistics of how he would travel figured out. In my head I did and I told her so, but in reality I had no idea and I knew it. It nagged at me after our conversation but I was too tired to believe that I didn't have my bases covered. I didn't. 

When we got David to the van, it was evident that his usual riding seat was going to be a no go as his legs take up a good 32" from foot to foot and being that they stick straight out and a little up in front of him, he is hardly compact or flexible. Add to that the fact that Z had packed the car..... and by packed I mean, anxiously tossed the bags and all our other junk all around making it impossible to get to any seat in the back but David's usual one....made things even more fun. After standing back and assessing the issue though, I figured that we could fold David's usual seat into the floor and then put him on the back bench seat. That way he had plenty of leg/cast room and space for us to prop his feet. The only down side to this new seating system was that the bench seat didn't recline like his usual seat. He had to spend the entire trip sitting pretty much straight up. Poor guy!

Half way home after much discussion, Z and I realized that there was simply no way we were going to be able to get David out of the van and into the house on our own. Thank goodness for living in a small town and having an amazing EMS. We called ahead to see if they could meet us at the house and help us to get him in. They didn't bat an eye and were here and made what could have been a disastrous extraction a smooth transfer. I was so grateful for this because at 8:30 p.m. I was too exhausted to keep going much longer......or was I?  After getting David in and settled, I was apparently too tired to actually sleep and I watched the clock tick away until somewhere around 3ish. David on the other hand.....slept with abandon. Lucky!

Now onto the other shoe. So we finally get up about 8ish this morning and he is in good spirits (especially for going an extended time without pain meds). In the process of giving him morning meds and getting him ready for the day, I notice he is really hot! I take his temp and it is 100.4. Sigh! Then he begins to cough this croupy cough. Double sigh! I go back and read and reread his discharge notes. I know the fever is not a good thing and being as immobile as he is the cough could be a really bad thing.  Of course, being exhausted and still pinching myself over the ease of all of this so far.....I am trying hard not to panic as my first instinct is to call EMS (apparently his new form of travel until these casts come off) and take him to the ER. Instead though....I call his pediatrician and get the on-call doctor. Blessedly he is nice and understanding even though I am borderline daffy and exhausted. His advice: watch his breathing, keep fluids in him, make him cough and watch his temp. If it gets above 100.8....call EMS and get him to the ER! Did you hear that? Yep....the other damn shoe.

So far David is happily watching Spongebob intermittently waving "hi" at me. I have him loaded to the gills with all of his meds and am hovering like a mother hen, hoping that there are no more hospital visits in our future for awhile. However, with Davids history of going from zero to septic in the blink of an eye....trust me, I won't hesitate to call EMS if that fever creeps at all.

So now, before I forget.....I would like to show a little gratitude. First of all....thank you to all who have bought Cheesecakes for David, prayed for (and continue to pray for) David and all those who read this blog and watch facebook for updates. I would also like to thank Nikki our friend who both watched our house while we were gone and took care of my furkids. She even took the time to shave Spud and make him look presentable again. Thanks too, to Haven House for another wonderful stay and to the hospital staff of both Shriners and St. Louis Childrens for taking such wonderful care of my boy! You all make this journey both possible and bearable and for that I am forever grateful.

I will keep you posted on the fever and the cough and until then.....thanks for reading!