We are home!

Ammon has slowly been doing better!  On Thursday, I was ready to go home.  He had a good night, he was off all his pain medication and pretty mellow.  He still has to be suctioned regularly and on bipap every few hours, but after a mellow day I thought, I can do this at home.  When I was consulting with the oncologists about Ammon's status, I asked if there was anything else we could do to boost his immune system and try to avoid hospitalization.  They looked at his labs and saw that his immunoglobulin levels were low.  Last fall when he was hospitalized, he received an IVIG transfusion.  It gives you extra immunoglobulin to help your immune system, especially in mucus secretions.  I really feel like that has helped him to stay well, until now.  We decided to give him a transfusion.  The PICU doctors said we could go home, if I felt comfortable keeping up with the same routine, after his transfusion.  Well, when we woke him up to do his first respiratory  treatment, he started crying, especially when they started his IV.  He stayed that way most of the day.  His heart rate elevated and work of breathing increased.  I felt like he was going back to the way he was when we came in.  The resident came in and said sometimes kids can have a reaction to the IVIG.  That's two reactions in a week, not good odds.  However, by 7 o'clock he was pretty much back to normal, but I didn't want to stress his body out and try to bring him home.  I felt defeated, tired, emotional, but I had to remind myself, it has only been a little over a week, he is still doing remarkable and he is still sick.  I had a sweet nurse that told me she would take good care of him, rub his head if he woke up and that I should go to the parent room to get a good night's rest.  I took her up on that and Ammon and I had a good night.  Around noon on Friday I was ready.  Ammon had been doing great until I put him in his wheelchair.  He started crying super hard, which caused him to cough up a lot of stuff, but then his oxygen levels lowered and we had to suction him a few times.  The PICU doctors were giving me the look like "Are you sure you know what you are doing?"  The whole morning I felt like I was being tested.  I made the call of how long he could stay off the bipap, when to suction him, etc.  It's what I do on a daily basis, but when you have trained doctors and nurses watching you, I start second guessing myself.  I knew he would be happier sleeping on his own schedule, being around Coleson and Brynn,  not having temperture checks every two hours.  I don't like the fact that I have to be the "mean" one to suction and move him around to make him cough and stretch.  I made the right call, though.  He is so happy today.  He doesn't seem sickly.  He is able to play with toys and listen to everyone argue about doing chores.  Today I don't mind.  I am happy to be home too.  I am so grateful for those who prayed for us! Thank you mom for flying out to take care of the rest of our family.  Thank you plasma donors (It takes a thousand). Ammon is Home!