September 3 - Moving to the Rehabilitation Unit

AJ had a terrible night of rest, his latest in a string of rough nights.  First of all, he is experiencing a couple of strange sensations that wake him up shortly after he falls asleep.  The first is a feeling of pressure on his abdomen and chest as his body relaxes.  The second are phantom sensations such that he feels that his legs are up in the air or spread far apart, when in reality they are flat on the bed, lying straight out next to each other.  These sensations bother him greatly when he is trying to fall asleep throughout the night.  Additionally on Tuesday night, several times when he awoke from a short sleep, he awoke very disoriented and unable to figure out where he was.  Luckily, his mom was by his side most of the night to reassure him and comfort him!

Being out of the ICU, but not yet in the rehabilitation unit, brings its own challenges.  AJ has never been the kind of kid to just sit around and watch TV/movies or take long naps.  This is the kid who wanted to have a paper route at age 9, and wanted to practice piano for 2 - 3 hours a day!  Sitting in a hospital bed with nothing to do is beginning to take its toll.  AJ mentioned that he believed this to be the longest consecutive amount of time that he has ever been indoors.  We agree!  He began feeling very anxious, sort of claustrophobic even.  It didn't help that the hospital staff told us that he would be moved to rehab in the morning, but at 10:00 changed that time to 1:00-2:00 in the afternoon, but then at 3:00 changed that time to 7:00.  This just added to AJ's anxiety and feelings of boredom, restlessness, and a bit of hopelessness.  It was a big relief when we finally packed our belongings and followed the nurse pushing AJ in his bed down to the Rehabilitation Unit.  We arrived at 7:30 pm!

Today, as thoughts of the long recovery road came creeping into his mind, a couple of experiences really helped remind him of what a great young man he is.  The first was when the entire post-surgery team came to his room to say goodbye because he was being moved to rehab.  They came to tell him how great it has been to work with him and they lauded his great attitude in the ICU and Surgery Transport Unit.  This really helped him to feel better about himself and his situation.

Another helpful event that occurred today was an awesome visit from friends.  The visit began in the afternoon with his missionary companion from the MTC and followed by his good friends from his High School days and another fellow missionary.  This cheered him up greatly.  AJ's friend, who is a 4th Grade Teacher in Utah, asked her students to write letters to AJ.  She brought them and read them all to AJ and then asked him to record a video answering all of their questions, which included questions like, "What is your favorite color?" "What does AJ stand for?" and "What is your hospital room like?"  AJ recorded the 3-minute video in typical AJ fashion - with excitement and humor.  When the time came to move AJ to the rehabilitation unit, all of these friends followed him down the halls of the hospital and into his new room.  After settling in, the friends stuck around and watched the inspiring movie, "Remember the Titans" before heading home.

A day that began with emotions of discouragement and frustration ended with emotions of gratitude and hope!