The Puddles

So even though we have been up and walking, we will be here in the ICU at least one more day.  Ben isn’t mad, he says. He is just really really sad. He wants to get out of here so badly. 

He is doing everything that the doctors tell him to do, but his face hasn’t made a smile since I asked him to smile for the camera earlier today. He is just not himself. 

The girls came up today to see him and they both tried to cheer him up, but nothing worked. 

For the girls it was a real experience. If you know our family you know that we have a rule about children going to the hospital. They don’t. The only way to go is if you are so sick that you need a hospital.  So first the girls had to see a Child life specialist. That is a hospital rule.  

Then they got to go see Ben. I think Ainsley was the most excited. She had never been able to visit Ben in the hospital before.  

Ben blood pressure has been a little crazy today. But it is getting better. They increased his blood pressure mess and his diuretics. His lung X-rays are getting cloudier each time, so they worked hard to get it better by the afternoon X-ray. But our efforts (walking, pounding, etc.) haven’t started working yet. They will. So between a cloudier X-ray and the fact that Ben got dizzy and dropped his pulse suddenly while lying in bed means another day in the ICU. I think it is just because he is so darn cute . . . I mean handsome. Or the awesome super hero Jammie’s that all of the staff comment on. They just like to have Ben hanging around another day. 

Whatever the reason, Daddy and Uncle Will are doing the night shift together tonight. They are planning all sorts of antics to try to cheer Ben up. If anyone can do it, it is those two.