The Day After. . .

Getting Brendan ready to go get a post-surgery MRI was like packing our entire family for a trip!  It took lots of preparation.  Each wire monitoring vitals had to be unhooked and hooked up to a portable unit.  The CSF drain had to be taken with him and held up.  A large transport medical kit carrying every emergency item he might need was taken on the bed.

Packing for the trip to the MRI

His entire bed was wheeled down to the Imaging Department and he was prepped for the scan.

Unhooking everything before getting the MRI and peeling off the heart monitor tabs.

 We had to lift him over from the bed to the table.  He was very concerned about us bumping or moving his head (of course)!

Moving from the bed to the table.  (I would have gotten pictures of the nurse climbing over the bed, but it took all 4 of us to move him carefully to the table.)

Then in he went for the MRI scan.

Shaun and I took a nice stroll outside in the sunshine while they were scanning.

Once we were back in the room it was time to change out his port.  

 Everything has to be super sterile. They told Brendan not to talk while they did this procedure so he wouldn't spread any germs on the site.

They cleaned the site, pulled out the old port, then put a numbing cream on the skin and left it for 30 minutes.  

 Once the site was cleaned again then the new port access was inserted.

The rest of the day has been spent sleeping.  Brendan loves the room dark and quiet.  If the nurses get talking too loud he tells them to "Shhh!"

Tonight was a little busy getting ointment on stitches, medicine taken orally, IV's flushed, blood drawn and sodium checked, and vitals all taken when the nurses changed shifts.  He's gotten a little ornery with so much to do and he's tired and wants to be left alone.  But ornery is good and they like to see a little feistiness because it means he is waking up a little and becoming more alert.  All he wants now is a warm blanket and to be left alone.  It should be a good night of sleep!