We're done!
Boo is now Boo Tubes free.
Everything went really well this morning. Well, it went really well after they gave him a sedative.
He started flipping out during pre-surgery but the anesthesiologist came to the rescue with a little sedative cocktail. Ahhhhhhh. From there out it was a cakewalk. And entertaining, too.
Our little Boo was stoned to the bejesus. Totally snockered. Completely entertaining. And, most importantly, totally relaxed.
This video was 5 minutes after they rolled him out of surgery. It's a bit hard to tell but listen to the slurred speech. Notice the heavy eyes and head swaying to and fro (I'm supporting him from falling backwards). This was by the far the funniest and most relax I'd ever seen Boo in the hospital.
We're just about to leave for the hospital. About an hour for check-in. An hour for the actual procedure. And about two hours for recovery. We should be back early afternoon.
For the few still following:
-We went in for labs today (Monday) and everything is going great. I'd say he's 95% healed. He needs to add a few more red blood cells and his kidneys need to finish flushing out a few more toxins, but for all intents and purposes, he's healthy
-We will consult interventional radiation tomorrow to schedule his final procedure: removing his Boo Tubes (catheter)
-Boo's acting like himself more and more everyday. More laughter, more walking (even running occasionally) and certainly more mischief
By the end of this week this whole thing should be behind us.
We made a quick trip to the hospital for routine blood tests this morning. Things are looking good. The only thing requiring any action is the red blood cell count. It's still low, which is expected, so we'll probably do a transfusion with dialysis tomorrow.
We're crossing our fingers and the doctors won't make any promises but there's a good chance he won't require further dialysis after tomorrow's run. If that's the case the final element in this saga will be removing the HD line. We are so close to truly looking at this in the rear view mirror.
There are only so many times I can say, "What a day!" But here I am saying it again.
It's really nice to have Boo finally recovering at home. His urine output is almost back to normal and we're seeing steady improvements in his vascular system and kidneys. I would say he's 90% recovered.
When we had our hall-pass a few days ago the doctors were really hoping it would lift his spirits. It didn't work quite as well as hoped but I think it was good to get some fresh air. It wasn't quite the right dose at the right time. But today was the perfect dose of "normal." Getting a little sun on his skin, a little dirt under his nails and mixing it up with his siblings and chickens has really lifted his spirits. Sometimes all it takes is a little Silly Putty.
More good news:
-We just spoke to his doctor and it looks like his time left in the hospital is short. Basically it's up to us (and Boo) when we want to make the transition from hospital to home. Place your bets.
-Dialysis is scheduled for every other day, as needed. His kidneys still aren't fully functioning so we make require a few more runs of dialysis.
-Boo is feeling much better. He's in good spirits but still pretty tired. We finally got him out of his hospital gown and in some clothes.
Poor Boo hasn't walked in two weeks. I made him take a couple steps last night and just standing makes him wobble. It's like watching a baby learn to walk. He doesn't trust his legs.
Totally unrelated but exciting none-the-less: today is Daniel's first day of kindergarten. Mollie is at home taking pictures which I'll try to post later. Life as normal is within sight.
