33 Days

That is how long our parole from Children's has lasted and it looks like it will end tonight. Ellie's ostomy (think of a tube sock that is rolled halfway out) has rolled out further through the hole in her belly and and swollen on the outside. It is called prolapsing and it is gross and painful.

Ellies ostomy used to be a nice, pink rosebud of ostomy. This evening it swelled to be beet red and the size of a plum. Nasty and angry. and the tight hole in her belly constricted it and made it worse.

We gave a call to our surgeon around 8:30 tonight (have I mentioned how nice it is to ahve the man on speed dial?) and he sent us to Children's to. the Emergency Room where we got the express treatment both because they knew we were coming and because infants that have their own IV go to the front of the line....

After everyone and their brother came to take her pulse and listen to her lungs and heart we spoke with the surgeon of the night who suggested that we sedate her and see if making her relax will allow her ostomy to shrink.

We thought that this was a good idea but insisted that the doctor talk to Dr. Jennings before we did anything. We weren't pulling rank for fun or to show the doctor that we were connected, but wanted to make sure that we were doing somehting that he agreed with. He did and up to the third floor waiting room we went.

At midnight she went into the OR and we just heard that after she went ot sleep on anesthesia the ostomy went down and 'popped' back in after some coaxing and manipulation.

She will be admitted tonight for the night and maybe longer to watch and see what happens. If it pops out again we will be looking at real, cut her open, surgery. That's not good for anyone if we can avoid it.

Crap. The hospital sucks after you have seen what home is like.