The boy takes charge

Well, one tube came out today – the one Wiley managed to pull out this afternoon by moving his head! Luckily, it was one the docs had decided was pretty well good to go: the tube draining the fluid from his brain. Mind you, he managed to do this under the nose of the very attentive nurse whose only charge is keeping Wiley in the “good” zone... but with about 12 different monitors, multiple machines, and Wiley’s physical “comfort” (ok, that’s a stretch) to keep up with, you can imagine she’s kept pretty busy.

More impressively, he made his wishes known for his morning’s music. He decisively turned down his mother’s offer to next put Ani DiFranco on the ipod, with a distinct turn of his head left and right. It might have been our imagination, but he even seemed to realize that his mother was poking fun at him (she knows he dislikes Ani).

And there was more. When the neurosurgeon came in, he asked Wiley to lift his left thumb. He did. Then he asked him to move his left leg. He did. Then his right leg. He did that, too. (I’m not sure I could remember which was which myself if I was sedated and in a hospital bed, head injury aside!) Nancy read messages to Wiley that friends had sent in cards and notes, and he also seemed to take in the names and good wishes, as well as the information that he’d had a head injury and was in the hospital. His color is also better, and the swelling is down. They’re continuing to reduce his medications today, too.

Better news still came tonight.

They think that tomorrow -- providing the CT scan in the morning is consistent with what they expect -- they’ll be able to take out the breathing and feeding tubes as well as the probe that monitors pressure in his brain. And Monday… send him off to the rehab hospital! With a helmet, because he’ll still be missing his “bone flap” for a bit longer yet. (His family is thinking to get some adhesive letters to spell “C-R-A-S-H” across the front.)

One point the nursing staff have made repeatedly is just how great it is that Wiley ONLY has a head injury. So many folks they deal with that have head injuries also have other internal and/or musculo-skeletal problems to deal with. It’s part of why Wiley is expected to have a better recovery trajectory than many.

The relief of all this good news is letting his extended family hospital team really feel the full weight of their exhaustion tonight. Which is really ok!

Sweet dreams, all.