Sleepy time

It's nearly 11:30 and I need to go to bed. I woke up at ten minutes to 5 this morning (remember, the plan was for the baby to go to surgery at 5:00). So, I said some prayers, and tried to get a little more sleep (my alarm went off at 5:30, and I got up at 6). I barely made it to work on time, but I already had my patients from yesterday. My student took all three of our patients today, so I checked my email a hundred times and spent a lot of time sitting. She is doing GREAT! I also was able to visit with my friend quite a few times since I was on the same "side" (and wasn't doing much work since my student gave all the meds and did all the charting!).

The baby didn't end up going into surgery until nearly 1000 (so, I guess I woke up early for some other reason!). He was back to his room in the PICU around 6:00. He is still critically ill, but at least that surgery is done. He has a second chance at life, and that is an answered prayer. May the Lord continue to wrap His arms around the donor family who will soon bury their child. Their gift is the priceless gift of hope, of time, of life. I brought his parents to Applebees and we had a really nice visit. They insisted upon buying my dinner...we are going to have to come up with some kind of "middle ground" because I can't continue to have them spend money on me! That just doesn't seem "right"! In the past, I have written about my "A-team girl", so maybe I'm going to have to start calling this baby my "Z-team boy" :o) (or, maybe he will keep being "the baby" because I know who I mean!). Praying this little one does well...he does not have an easy road ahead of him, but he has shown himself to be a fighter, and he has amazing parents right there with him cheering him on! They are SO great and I am blessed that God brought them to me.

I'm off tomorrow, so need to go work out...and should go running (gotta get ready for that Life-a-Thon!). A man who donated his son's organs in the 1990s is coming to my hospital to speak, so I would like to go listen to his story. Today I learned first hand how difficult the decision to donate organs can be. I heard a story of someone who had been involved in a tragic accident. In order for the heart and lungs to be donated, this patient would have had to remain on life support for 24-48 hours even though "brain death" had already been declared. To delay the inevitable, to sit in a hospital with a loved one who has passed away for days...that would be SO hard. I'm not sure if this was a unique situation, or if that is what has to happen for all donors, but it really made me think about what a difficult choice organ donation can be...I haven't thought about it much besides praying for them whenever one of our kids gets transplanted...

Anyway, time to sleep. Good night!