If you know Ryan then you know he has a LOVE I mean LOVE of robots and anything robotic like in any way! So I wanted to preserve some of his favorite things about this horrible circumstance we have found ourselves in and take some pictures of things that we will remember with a smile. He loves the portable x-ray machine, all the big machines that have given him life support, anything that will look like, sound like or move like a machine or robot. He is impressed with. I know he gets it honest ( from his daddy the engineer) so we just embrace it. When asked what if he would like anything from downstairs, we were referring to the cafeteria, he piped up and actually requested "the expensive" R2D2 robot toy you will not let me have. One he has been wanting but was too expensive for just a toy R2D2 robot toy. One that works with voice activation etc. We just chuckled and then went to Amazon.com and ordered it!!
LOL. I think he deserved a BIG prize for going through this ordeal and being a real trooper.
Today they removed some of his lines and allowed him to get up and move around enough to shuffle a bit to pee and get a
Popsicle. That activity wore him out enough that after two outings he went to sleep. They will remove his chest tube tomorrow and hopefully he will be well enough to move to the step down unit. After a few stable days in the step down unit he will be ready to come home. He will have 6-8 weeks of healing and limited activity and repeated trips back down here for checkups and evaluations but at least we can come home. We are not allowed to lift him up by his underarms in anyway. They do not want anything pressing anywhere that would shift the
sternum welding wires. It is amazing what they can do here and with such speed accuracy and excellence. It is a truly amazing place and they have been wonderful to our family and Ryan most importantly!!
We did meet another family whose infant son was born with the same
coarctation Ryan was born with 6 years ago we were able to offer a little support because we have been there and done that.
He is doing the best he could possibly do. He has responded well to EVERYTHING they have done to him and his heart. He is being weaned down off the narcotic pain medication and being put on just a mild IV one for now. He has done great and is not experiencing too much pain with anything. Which helps me relax. He smiles that Mommy and Ryan have sleep overs and seems to be content that I am staying with him through the night.
Thanks for the prayers we have received the best of everything in all we have been through and the prayers and blessings have been wonderful. I am grateful to have all you well wishers in my life and thankful to be surrounded by such love from family and friends.
While taking advantage of a warm fall day, Doug went golfing with his step-mother at Oak Tree Country Club. While making the turn onto the back 9 holes they stopped at the snack bar for some refreshments and who appeared running up to them, greeting them like a puppy and rolling over for a belly rub was this black and white cat pictured above. So worried about who this cat belonged to they started asking around. The pro staff there told them it was Foot Joy, the club mascot that was dumped at the course as a kitten. The staff had him neutered and cropped his ear to make sure they knew he was neutered, they fed him on occasion and he just hung around greeting guests and living where he could find shelter. So my husband with his animal loving ways called to discuss the option of brining this cat home so he would not have to live another winter fighting for survival. So we now own Foot Joy, he has had a visit to the vet's office, a visit to a groomer who specializes in cats only. She had to give him 3 baths to get the dirt off him. All who interacted with him said he was such a sweet, nice and special cat that in my infinite wisdom I decided to go to Lawrence County Animal Shelter and check out the kittens. Reading online I decided it was not a great idea to get another male cat but learned that a female cat would provide a nice playmate and wonderful companion for him. So two weeks later I went to the animal shelter here in the county and adopted a female kitten. I went to the shelter after looking on Petfiner for a cat that was good with dogs. Well the cat I went in for did not like other cats and did not really like people. So I told the staff I would check back and that I was not in a rush. They stopped me dead in my tracks and asked me what kind of cat I was looking for. What color? COLOR? Who picks a pet based on only color? Well NOT me for sure. So the staff told me to 
check out this kitten. Her name was Butterscotch and she was just as sweet as ever. The staff let me hold and play with her until I was satisfied. I handled the death out of her because I knew Ryan would do just that. She approached all the other cats in the kennel area with confidence and submission when they kissed at her. She was a beautiful peach color which was a bonus. She purred and purred. She just loved the attention, was affectionate and loving. They told me she was 14 weeks. So I filled out an adoption application and the next day I went to pick her up. She is just as sweet as the day I saw her in the shelter. She lets Ryan handle her in his 6 year old boy way. She is very playful and submissive with Foot Joy and warmed right up to the dogs in 3 days and now wishes she can sleep in his bed. I am very happy with the decision to have these cats. Hopefully all will go smoothly and Foot Joy will warm up to the dogs the way he has warmed up to Butterscotch. Time will tell.
