A Kinda Miracle

After a weekend of wondering if the healing process had finally taken hold in the one part of Cathal's body that was still resisting, of hoping that the cardio-surgical team would not have to resort to the extreme measure that would be sure of success but bring more pain to this poor tiny boy (see last post), we now know.

It has kinda, and no they did not.

The miracle we hoped for has kinda hapened, the healing seems indeed under way, though not as obvious as it looked for a while. And the cardio-surgical team decided that it was now preferable to let well alone and allow nature to finish what it started. So the last chest drain has come out, he is going to be monitored very closely, tested and examined every day for the next week. If any negative sign, a drain goes back in. If all positive, he will drop the IV feeding and go back to the more normal gastric system of ingesting food we are all familiar with – Hey! Just on time for Easter! Though I imagine Easter Chocolate Eggs won’t be on the menu for a while... Ah sure, the Dad can step in and deal with those...

So Praise Be Given to my Great Agnostic God! I must say it is such a relief, just to know that he is not going to be put through more agony.

And the poor little mite has told me in person that he is fed up with the whole thing. After a trip to the X-ray department yesterday – being wheeled just like a true prince sitting up in his bed from one floor to another, with IV stand, two smiling and chatting nurses and his Nan in tow – Cathal expressed himself very clearly. As pure a temper tantrum as I have seen in quite a while erupted, and anyone looking in got a piece of it... I don’t want to brag, but I think he has inherited That gene from me! And if I was in his position, after these kinds of experience over the last 4 weeks, I would let it rip too!

The other good news is that the Mammy was forced to take a rest this weekend, ordered to sleep in for a change, and let others entertain, consol and watch over Cathal. She looks so much better for it.

In all this, the saving grace is that when the Mammy and the Dad decided to buy their little nest some two years ago, they set their eyes on a cosy little house only a few minutes drive from Our Lady’s Children Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin... Little did they know that this would be a god-send, enabling them to go back to their own bed every night for a full night sleep once Cathal has dropped off - I suspect the morphine and other components in his nightly cocktail help him settle for the night!

So there you have it. Another week of waiting, and observing. But hopeful this is the beginning of the end of this chapter in Cathal’s adventure. It better be...