Day 28 Snow White He is Not!

Layton’s recovery has been interesting. Somehow my view of life has been influenced by fairy tales…I wonder if I am the only one this affects??

Remember how Snow White laid sleeping for years and then was awakened with a kiss, immediately sprang to life and all was good. I think I thought getting back to Kelowna, getting off the ventilator would be the equivalent of a “prince’s kiss” for Layton. He continues to get better each day, albeit slowly. He is weak, but getting stronger each day. Snow White’s body did not atrophy! His big day is now two laps around the ward.

The other day, he did a lap, sat outside for about an hour visiting with me, the boys and Kathy and Trevor, then got more company. By night, he was exhausted and ached all over. Snow White got right at it and planned a royal wedding! How does that work? One of the nurses, Michelle, who now owes a bike ride to, suggested that rather than comparing himself to how he was a few weeks ago, a more realistic comparison is how he was before the accident. That perception should help him manage the expectations he has of himself.

Our optimism continues. Layton got his trach removed today and once it is healed over, he is another step closer to being home. He just has a piece of gauze over his trach now and Liam says he sounds like a leaky air mattress!

Layton is exerting his usual charm. He had a parade of nurses, experienced and nurses, checking out his “thing” today. His “thing”, you might ask? This relates to raising his hospital gown to show off the site of his GI tube. Again, I don’t know the jargon, but what it seems like to me is it is like springy thing that opened up when we put a hook in the ceiling for our macrame plant hangers…so for now, he has a really interesting piece of work on his stomach! And everyone wants to see it! They are tentatively planning to remove it mid-July. Until then, we can arrange private viewings at 11:45 am, 4:45 pm, and 7:45 pm daily:)