Things I Want to Remember

The two of us praying over the Boy.  Before we left for the hospital my hubby and I sat on the Boy’s bed and prayed over him.

My family surrounded me.  It felt good to have every single member of my family sitting in the waiting room with me.  Everyone was doing their own thing.  My brother was working, my parents were feeding everyone, my niece was studying, my sister was playing a game with me, my girls were crafting.  But everyone was there.  And it felt good.

Seeing his swollen face.  He had an oxygen mask, some sort of breathing tube, three IV’s, a catheter, and blood circulators on his legs.  I expected him to look so small but instead he looked bigger than life.

Pulling the breathing tube.  Watching him struggle to wake up was nerve wracking.  He came around enough to pull out his breathing tube.  It wasn’t a full tube just a few inches long – enough to clear his airway.

Holding hands.  I held one of his hands and my niece held the other.  The Boy still had his eyes closed but we knew he was conscious.  My niece told him that three squeezes meant “I love you” and he responded by squeezing her hand three times!  He could understand language.

A brief moment.  I stayed by his side while the rest of the family rotated in to see him.  In a brief moment that we were alone he whispered to me “I love you”.  That is when I knew he was going to be okay.

Talking.  The doctor came in to check on him and he was able to answer all of the doctor’s questions.  He had a rather scratchy voice but he did it.

Beans.  The Boy would sit up in bed and grab his bucket.  Beans would stand by his side and rub his back.  She would tell him “That’s it.  Good job.  You’re doing good.”  Never once did she gross out or ignore him.  Instead she was by his side comforting and encouraging him.

Playing air hockey.  Never once did I imagine the Boy would be playing air hockey the day after brain surgery.  But there he was… challenging me with not one, but two pucks!

Bringing him home.  It still amazes me that 48 hours after surgery they let him go home.  I sat in the back seat with him.  Watched him and waited to see if he would be sick.  Sweet smiles the whole way.