Today has been a mixed bag.
The good
+Darren brought Alyssa and Jackson to visit today and it went really well. Especially in comparison to Thursday night when they visited and Alyssa cried during the visit, when they left and when they got home. It was nice to spend time as a family. We are all looking forward to being under the same roof again.
+ Matthew’s belly continues to show signs of waking up so our surgeon’s partner okayed starting small amounts of Pedialyte again. We started at 3:30p and so far, so good.
The bad
-I don’t know what is going on with the staff today but I feel like they might be understaffed. Our first nurse didn’t come in to Matthew’s room for almost 2 hours after shift began and I had to call the nurse 3 times about Matthew’s IV alarm, plus they never checked in when his pulse ox alarm went off multiple times. I’m guessing sometime during the day our nurse was changed, but it really wasn’t explained. This is a stark comparison to the last few days/nights when we’ve had very attentive staff.
-Related to the IV alarm, Matthew’s IV fell out of his vein this morning. We’ve had 2 experts (even one with a portable ultrasound) come to try to find a new vein with no luck. Just moments ago, the IV guru who does emergency transports found a vein…in his head. So, thankfully Matthew is getting fluids but it looks like he has an antenna. It is a hard image to see when it is your sweet baby.
-A little petty considering the other things, but I’m appalled at the meals provided to patients. This is a place in which people should be getting well and offered nutritious, real, whole foods. I admit I’m a bit picky (and a little snotty) about what I eat (all-natural and/or organic), and I also know you have to feed kids what they’ll eat and the hospital is doing it all on a large scale, but Jamie Oliver proved it could be done in the schools…why not hospitals?
Anyway, Matthew seems to be on the road to recovery. He has an IV (albeit scary looking) for fluids (and nutrition later if needed), and he’s started clear liquids. I’m hopeful we can keep taking the baby steps to home.
Hospital food is not a minor, petty issue. Food nurtures and heals. It's essential. Why hospitals don't get that, I don't know. Let me know if/when you want to start a "whole foods in hospitals" campaign in this life or the next. I'll be right there with you. I do realize that you have higher priorities at the moment of course!
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