"One day at a time-this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering. Happiness is a journey.

Hi everyone!  I know many of you are holding on to the edge of your seats waiting for this blog.  So here goes...  Dion and I went to bed around 12:30 last night.  Right before we went to bed we called to see how Dani was doing.  Her nurse said no changes she was resting easy still in the induced coma and very little blood loss and all her vital singes were looking really good. 

    Again I woke in the middle of the night and called her nurse.  Think it was 2:30 am.  Her nurse told me and Dion the same, all looked really good.  This morning I called at 6:30 close to shift change and didnt get an answer but I remember her telling us about the shift change and not to call so I lay back down till almost 7:00 am and then got up took a quick shower and almost bolted out of the room wanting to get to Dani as soon as possible.  Dion was still in bed and asked where I was going.  He said that the nurses told us to wait till around 8:30 am to go visit her.   But all I can say is that I was in mother mode and I needed to get over to Dani as soon as I could.  I asked Dion if he didnt mind if I left to be with her and he said it was fine.  And out the door I rushed. 
   When I got to her room she was still on the ventalator and I said hi Dani and right away her eyes opened.  I asked how ya doing honey?   Then her pinkie finger started in motion.  It was our little sign that she wanted water.   I told her that she couldnt drink till she was off the resperator.  Then I was talking to her and we got a system going ...pointer finger up and down ment yes...middle finger up and down ment no.  Then I asked her does she want to get off the resperator.  That pointer finger was wagging like a dogs tail.  haha    I told her nurse but nurse said they tested her earlier by turning the resperator down and she wasnt breathing well enough on her own to take her off yet.  And that when she was awake a little more they would test her again.  And boom Dani started blinking at me and blinking and blinking and wagging that pointer finger. (meaning yes i am awake and i want you to get this tube outta my throat!)  I told the nurse that she looked like she was coming around and seemed pretty alert.  And that she wants that tube out.  I asked her a few more questions like are you in pain?   Middle finger wagging no pain.  ok no pain good!  But you want off the resperator?  Pointer finger again yes yes yes .  Eyes blinking  telling me im awake im awake get this tube outta me!  Still the nurse said she was gonna have to wait. But she turned down the resperator one more time to see if  Dani could breath on her own and I looked her square in the eyes and said " they turned the resperator down to see how well u can breath on your own so breath Dani breath."  And right away she just started to show us she could breath on her own.  Her chest was rising and falling just great and she just kept blinking  like she was saying im awake and I want this tube out as she was showing us she could breath. God its terrible when you know what she wants and u cant do anything about it.   Then Dion got there.  She blinked some more and we asked her if she wanted her eyes washed.  She nodded this time yes.  The nurse washed her eyes and I asked if she wanted her glasses and she nodded.  So I told Dion I was going to go back to the hotel room and get her glasses.  

    On the way to her room I called her dad to tell him she was looking good and was full of spit and vinager, what a fighter she is! 
    When I got back to her hospital room with her glasses the doctor had been by in my absence and checked her over and noticed how well she was doing with her breathing and decided to take her resperator out!!!    yeee haaaaaaaaaaa   it was 10:00 am in the morning and she had just had 11 hours in surgery the day before, and there she was laying in her bed with her resperator out talking to Dion in whispers.  WOW  I was astounded!  So were the nurses and the doctors on the floor.  Usually you dont get it it off for a couple a days after the surgery.  Maybe it was the sign language we had between us but I know I  did make it clear what my daughter wanted.  Thank god! 
    Right after I got back she told me she wanted a heart pillow so she could cough but it was really hard because she was in alot of pain now.  They dont have the heart pillows on the ICU ward but I was directed as to where to get one for her and off I went to 10 floor silverstien building.  Dion called me 2 times in my heart pillow hunt asking me if I found one yet, cuz she really needed to cough.  I did find one and hurried back to her with a brand new heart pillow.  But by then her pain had gotten severe.  She was on no pain drip of any kind after they pulled the  breathing tube.  I called her nurse and she told us that there was a nation wide shortage of dilaudid   (the pain meds Dani requested) and that they had a special order from her docs to get it to the hospital right away.  It seemed like a lifetime before it got there because of the  pain she was in but it was only about 25 min wait for it to get delivered to the hospital.  As soon as they hooked it up and put it in her IV they handed her the  clicker to administer her own meds. Every 10 minutes she could give herself a shot of dilaudid.  It worked instantly!  Im not kidding the first click and the medicine went in and all day she has been dealing with her pain wonderfully!  By 12:00 noon Her nurse told us that they were going to be talking Dani out of ICU to another floor where she would be in a private room and it would be like ICU but a step down from actual ICU because she was doing so well.  Around 2 pm or so they got her out of bed and she actually sat in one of those hospital recliners tilted back just a little with her feet up for about 2 hours.  Everyone is just amazed at the progress.  She asked for permission to drink a sprite after she had been drinking water and sipping on ice all morning.  They told her yes.  Then this evening for dinner they brought her jello and broth and she ate almost all of her lime jello.  Tomorrow morning they said she will be transported to the new ward with private room and she would be on a regular diet of food.  (I swear im not hallucinating all this!)  It really hapaned! 
     Dion and I were with her all day except for the couple of times they kicked us out to get her out of bed to put her in the chair and then back in the bed.  We took advantage of those times by going to cafateria and having lunch and over to a little hospital coffer shop and getting some really good cinnamon white choclate espresso with whipped cream.  mmmm  Dani even snuck a sip of Dions when we got back to the room.  (dont tell her nurse)  hehe.. It has been an incredable day!  An incredible week!  An incredible life for our little fighter Dani! Its a story worth telling..     Tomorrow im sure I will have more great tales to tell...im in the loby downstairs again.  Its the second night I havnt gone back to my little row house.  Its nice knowing im so close to where Dani is.  I think it makes it easier for both of us at this point.    Well good night everyone... Sleep well...I know i will.  :)  Vel