All in all, we are groggy.

Jon is convalescing well, and that is the main thing. Pain is decreasing, slowly.

The big issue, basically, is sleep. Jon wakes constantly during the night, either in pain, or by being woken as we administer meds. On top of a regular Tylenol dosage, he’s on a morphine-on-demand schedule, and he generally still needs it at night. Some nights he wakes as often as once an hour. As the healing continues, Jon is twisting and turning more in his sleep, and there’s no doubt that is causing more pain. But on the other hand, he’s pushing himself farther and helping the healing process.

There are some amazing differences from last time. With the removable wedge-‘n’-zimmers instead of a cast, Jon is already able — and obliged — to do physiotherapy two or three times a day. With the therapy, it didn’t take many days before he was able to bend the newly rebuilt leg all the way into his chest. Amazing. Clearly, he’s healing well. It’s a far cry from five years ago, when they opened the cast up after six weeks and Jon had two extremely itchy toothpicks that he could do nothing with.

The zimmers also mean that Jon is able to have a shower, which is kind of important for a 10-year-old boy (at least from our perspective). The actual event is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. 😉

The other difference from last time is approximately 15 or so kilograms, and I am feeling it. I’ve hurt muscles in both my back and my abdomen. I know, I know, be careful, don’t get a hernia, etc. etc., I’m doing my best. I’m dealing with a 70 lb. young man who wants to roll over 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night, but at the hint of pain — which there will be, we’re rotating 180° fer cryin’ out loud — will try to fight the motion.

Every morning I’ve got to carry him downstairs in full regalia. He barely fits through doorways, and I have to approach them and the stairwell at interesting angles and pitches. Gradually these lifts are getting less painful for him, which makes it somewhat easier on me.

Days are pretty easy, but we’ll get him working hard in the coming days. Jon’s already back to his spelling practice, and he’ll begin reading again soon. I was hoping tomorrow, but he’s woken four times in the first 3 and a half hours of tonight, so maybe not.

Time for bed.

As we pulled into the neighbourhood, a heavily drugged Jon fell asleep in relief.

Well, much to the relief of Photon, the entire pack has returned home, a little worse for wear. Jon is still under much pain management, with this massive wedge making huge problems in transport (fitting through doorways, for instance) and posture. And now that Laura has made it through the recent challenges in reasonable shape, her body has lapsed into a terrible cough and chest cold.

We’re going to lay low for a bit. 😉 Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts!

The troops.

This what we’ll be dealing with for the next 12 weeks or more. What you’re looking at is a big white styrofoam wedge, with velcro straps wrapping around two grey zimmers (the overgrown shinguards also known as “knee immobilizers”).

If it’s like the other two times, it’ll be six weeks all the time, and then six weeks at least in bed. The beauty of it is they can come off for showers, baths (in a few weeks when he can have one) and weight-bearing in water (starting in about three weeks!).

I don’t look forward to dealing with this sucker in the middle of the night when Jon wants to roll over. But it is a huge improvement over the A-frame cast we were dealing with 5 and a half years ago…but Jon is a lot bigger.

Jon ate well and then got a new dose of morphine and fell asleep by 7:30. Prior to that he was on his belly for close to 4 hours, most of that time he was twisting around without much discomfort while watching both his DVD player AND a vidoetape on TV. They removed his dressings and his incisions are looking luverly.

He’s sleeping peacefully right now, knock on wood. Poor Laura! Not only is she the one with the lingering nasty head cold, but it’s exacerbated by the fact that she keeps getting the nights where Jon isn’t in a happy place, while I get the tranquil shifts. Well, maybe I should stay another night. Then again, there’s talk that we may be discharged tomorrow, so I may just have equine footwear administered rectally, as they say around here.

Laura reports that Jon slept well til midnight, then off and on from there.

This morning, his medical status is ABG: Alert But Grumpy.