Same Story - What it's Like

Today I posted an update on Facebook to my family and friends. We are still in the hospital. Ryan's lung is still leaking air. We will be here until it stops leaking air. When it stops, they will turn the suction off of the wall. We will then be here for an additional 24-hours at least and we will be released to go home. From there we will go to the Ronald McDonald house. We will stay there until Ryan feels up to traveling home. Depending on how he feels, we will either stop and sleep at a hotel on the way home, or we will drive straight through. We will take it hour by hour at that point.

I've had so many comments like this "I can't imagine what you must be going through." and "I'm so sorry. This must be so awful."

So, this is what it is like.

We get up every morning. We have a warm shower, and a warm breakfast. We make our bed in the Ronald McDonald House, or we give our dirty linens to the hospital staff. The doctors come in to the room and they ask Ryan to cough. So far, a bubble is released into his chest tube collector and we know that we still have a leak. We know then that the plan is to do the same thing we did yesterday. We have lunch, we split our time with Sydney, we have dinner. Sometimes we do something fun with Sydney. We take turns staying the night with Ryan so that on the off nights we get a full night's sleep. When Brett goes home, I will leave Ryan every night and come back in the morning. That may sound awful to some, but it will be the only way I will be able to function alone. We did it this way 15 years ago because there was no other way. At least now Ryan can push his own call button.

There is nothing horrible about our situation. No, we aren't home. Yes, it is a bit inconvenient. But. We are among some of the top doctors in the nation. We are at a prestigious medical teaching hospital. We are cared for in the best of ways. Ryan is not in pain. We are just waiting. Every day we are waiting. And we will continue to wait as long as we need to to ensure his safe return home. That's what it is like.