Rolling on to rehab

Deane in a wheelchair about to ride the elevators.

“Now the hard work begins.”

I couldn’t believe I was saying this to my son who had just spent the last week struggling to breathe with a collapsed lung. He has had tubes stuck down his throat and up his nose to suction the secretions out of his lungs at all times of the day and night.

And now I’m dismissing all of that to tell him that the hard work Is just beginning? Deane and I were having this conversation in a very public hallway of the hospital. Deane was in a wheelchair and was complaining – loudly. He wanted to go back his bed and watch TV.

This long journey began with surgery to Deane’s hip and a loosening of his groin and hamstring muscles. After overcoming his lung complications, he has to start the rehab on his legs. It is hard and I’m sure it hurts. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of months of painfully hard work.

These are not conversations you like to have with your child. After what he has valiantly struggled through, I just want to hug him and let him do whatever he wants. Unfortunately, that’s not an option. If we do that, all the pain of the surgery will be wasted. We’re already behind due to the focus on his lungs for the last week.

I’m quite certain today will not be the last of these conversations.

But today is the last of an unexpected and unpleasant

Deane being rolled into his room.

interlude in Deane’s recovery. When the night nurse came on shift, she introduced herself and said she was going to make sure Deane’s room was ready.

Tonight, after eight days in ICU and constant care wards, Deane is finally sleeping in his own room.