Today we awoke with the expectation that we’d be moved upstairs to another room. Jude was only in ICU because of this saline drip, and so they could watch his sodium levels, but that came out last night and he was doing well. It was a bit of waiting to see what was going on, and when this move would take place. We filled some of the time by packing, since we knew we’d have to anyway. It’s amazing how much stuff gets accumulated, even when you really only get stuff that others bring for you.
Last night, as they were going to bed, Jessica and Jude prayed together, and Jude asked God to let him go home, rather than to another room. We figured it was a long shot, but it never hurts to pray!
As we were waiting around, doctors began stopping by. The first was the neurologist (resident), who was impressed with Jude. She checked him out and was happy with what she saw. She even mentioned that his incision was “gorgeous”. Then she clarified, not really gorgeous, but in very nice shape.
The next doctor to stop by was the oncologist, who suggested that maybe Jude was ready to go home, rather than upstairs. He was doing so well, a move upstairs would really just be for observational purposes anyway.
The third doctor to came by to see Jude, the representative of the surgeon, also thought Jude looked good enough to go home. He flat out said the only reason to keep him was for a little more observation or precaution. He didn’t want us to go home and be back within a few days with another seizure.
Last was the intensivist (the doctor on duty responsible for all of the kids on the floor). He also felt that Jude looked good enough to go home.
About this time, we were hearing that the final decision would come from the oncologist. That was great to hear, because she had already suggested Jude go home.
It was looking really good. We were just waiting for the nursing staff to get it together. Our worst nurse of the whole week was on duty, she was lazy and often hard to find. We were reaching a point where the only thing keeping us was that Jude still had IVs in his arm and neck that needed to come out.
Why does it always seem to take forever to leave a hospital?
At least we were leaving, and Jude was coming with us!
It’s hard to believe that just a week ago, we were waking up without a clue that anything was wrong. It was a week ago today that we were heading to the hospital thinking we’d be back home in a few hours, in time to go to bed at our normal time. It was just a week ago that we got the worst news that we could imagine, our beloved Jude has a brain tumor. In the span of just a few hours, we went through so much that by 6:00pm we felt like it was 3:00am.
The ordeal isn’t over, but the worst of it is behind us. Assuming the second opinion confirms the type of tumor Jude had, we will still have to have some outpatient work done – vision and hearing screening, cognitive screening, a spinal tap, stitch removal, and possibly another MRI.
In the end, we’ve experienced the most wonderful feeling of clearly answered prayer. The message couldn’t be clearer that the Lord is in control, and He is keeping Jude in His hand. It came with a cost, hearing news we wouldn’t wish on anyone, but in the end if this is how God wishes to teach us and sanctify us at this time in our lives, who are we to argue?
There is a ton of gratitude in the Olson house tonight! Tomorrow we plan to put up Christmas decorations. What a storybook conclusion to a difficult ordeal!