Chapter Nine: The Move - A Step in the Right Direction

Phoebe is resting comfortably. We can see her dreaming but it doens't appear to be a nightmare. We've just gotten word that she is taking the next step in her recovery. Not only has she taken the first steps since her accident, her next recovery step is the move from Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to the Pediatric Floor. We are awaiting a resident discharge on the floor and will move her when the bed becomes available. There isn't any hurry. I can't help but wonder how things went for Phoebe's new room predecessor? God willing, they are on the mend. Another step is about to take place. I clear the room so that the nurses can remove her catheter. She'll now have to use the "big girl potty." It wasn't that many hours ago that Phoebe's middle sister had stood in the room while visiting and, in classic melodramatic fashion with her finger to her lips, she cleared her throat and said, "Hmmm, I have a question." Go ahead Soph, what's the question. "How does Phoebe go to the bathroom?" I pointed down to her catheter bag half full of urine as Carol said, "She has a bladder catheter. She doesn't have the normal urge to go to the potty, it just flows as needed." We both knew what was next and we beat her and her Phoebe's youngest sister to the punch. As if we had planned it, we said, "She hasn't eaten any food and hasn't had a bowel movement. The doctors and nurses work to keep that need to a minimum but if she did have to go, we'd just clean it up." Carol said, "It's natural, no big deal." Frank conversation is important with children. You shouldn't dance around issues. As we waited for the room the to become available, the PICU nurses administered her evening meds. She was taken off of a pain killer drip, given some oral pain medication and the promise was made that she could have additional if the pain became too much. We rested while waiting. Phoebe is absolutely exhausted after the longest Saturday of her life. She's on the mend and taking steps in the right direction towards a complete recovery. The move was a welcome relief. I couldn't believe how much stuff a person could accumulate in such a short time. I made three trips with books, bags, computers, and personal items. George Carlin had a great routine about "Stuff." How we collect "stuff" and then move the "stuff" from one place to another. I miss George. He was one of the greats. It is wonderful to laugh, you can't laugh too much. Speaking of laughing, we made the move from PICU to the Pediatric Floor. The nurses from PICU and "The Floor" had a great working relationship - it was obvious that there was a competitive but collaborative comaraderie between them. We joked and laughed about whose equipment was what with the possibility that there would be a raid on the floor if PICU didn't get all of their "stuff" back. It's great to be in a mental state that permitted laughter and to take steps in the right direction.