Ethan’s Doing Well

Ethan continues to do well. His movement and strength on his left side are near normal.

Lots of tests…tests, tests and more tests. Numerous ultrasounds, x-rays, CT scan, dyes and contrasts, help to show there is no clot on, in, near, or around Ethan’s central line…or in his arteries. This doesn’t help confirm where the clot traveled from, or if it originated in the brain, but the doctors can form their plan now to remove his central line without dislodging a potentially dangerous clot near his line, as there does not appear to be one. We will meet with surgery tomorrow and try to add Ethan to Monday’s OR schedule…if not Monday, he’ll be scheduled in for Tuesday.

Ethan’s tired, but had a good day. He’s been through a lot in the last 60 hours. All the tests, a peripheral IV last night (in his left hand), another peripheral IV today (in his left arm), keeping a migraine from his lumbar puncture at bay…laying flat seems to be his most comfortable position for this. He is cleared by the doctors to sit up and walk around when he’s ready though. Physical Therapy needs to assess him, but we put this off until tomorrow, when perhaps he’ll have more energy and less of a headache. While it appears that he has full strength back in his leg, he has not yet walked since his stroke…so we can only hope…He is so strong though…remember how well he recovered after being bed-ridden for weeks with pneumonia? It took awhile, but he did it…He’s a FIGHTER.

While anxiously awaiting the arrival of Emma, Eliot, Daddy and Grandma, Ethan enjoyed visiting with Aunt Katie who drove in from CT. We all enjoyed a surprise visit to the room from Santa and his Elves, bearing gifts of course! (the Elves are first-year fellows dressed in great Elf costumes, so recognizing our former and current doctors in elf costumes was amusing!). We quickly appreciate all being together again…home or hospital, we’re together. We know we’ll be home together in the near future, which is very reassuring.

From what we hear, it’s chilly out there! We were in the middle of setting our ice rink up Thursday morning when this all happened. The plan was to fill it Thursday, knowing this chilly weather was on its way. My goal…get Ethan home soon, get that ice rink filled, and he’ll be skating in no time! One caveat…with a helmet, pads on every part of his body, maybe in a bubble? Paranoid / Overprotective might be taken to a new level when we return home. But like everything, it’ll ease up eventually…