The original plan was to stay the night at the hospital to ensure pain was manageable before going home. However, Eli had other plans. With a nerve block in place, his need for meds was minimal and he just wanted to go home. We all wanted to go home. So, that’s what we did.
After meeting with the surgeon after the surgery, we were eventually given a blue slip of paper, which was our ticket to the post-op room.
If you recall reading one of my earlier posts, room 26 may ring a bell for you. It so happens that it is far too familiar a number for me. This time we weren’t in the ER, but the memories surfaced anyway-the day that rocked our world.
This day, however, was bittersweet. Memories of life before cancer colliding with fear of the beast with which we now fight and hope that the last visible remains if the beast, cut from my son’s foot, will be the last we ever see of it, yet knowing how likely it is to live to fight us another day.
I choose hope. So far, Eli has won all his battles. The chemo & surgery have done what they were intended to do and beat Rhabdo into submission. Chemo will continue to keep it from rearing its ugly head and radiation will fight along side it, and, God willing, the war will end. After speaking with the doctors, we have come to realize that what we have seen so far is the best case scenario for Eli. I choose hope.
Eli was still a little tired when we were reunited with him in room 26, but was, overall, in good spirits. We listened to an audiobook to pass the time and were trained on the nerve block, which will stay in his leg for a few days. The nerve block is like an epidural for the sciatic nerve, which is the nerve which provides the means through which Eli feels pain in the part of the foot from which Annoying Head V was resected. However, the femoral nerve also provides sensation to other parts of the foot, so the pain releif from the sciatic nerve block is partial. The remaining discomfort is managed with oral meds. We will remove the little tube when the medication runs out in a few days.
A thin piece of tubing is inserted into the leg, and is attached to a pump (located in the blue bag) which dispenses the nerve block med to his sciatic nerve.
Eli was excited to get out of bed and take a spin in a wheelchair. I was eager for him to be out and about so I could assess his pain med needs and make sure it would be manageable at home.
Eli passed the test with flying colors and it was time to go home.
Eli The Boss 