For those following Buddy’s surgical drama, he is home and doing well.
He had his spinal fusion done on October 26th, at the Nemours DuPont Children’s Hospital. We checked into the Ronald McDonald House the night before, as his surgery was slated for 6:30 AM, and with a 2 hour drive, leaving from PA was not a good option. (Brian kept the room there throughout our stay, as Buddy’s hospital room could only accommodate one parent.) Physical therapy started almost immediately, the next day. He did very well! Buddy was kept over the weekend, and discharged on Monday. Unfortunately, hurricane Sandy had other plans for us. All roads in Delaware (And PA) were closed due to the storm. Thankfully, we never checked out of the Ronald McDonald House, and for safety reasons they allowed us to stay until Wednesday, when the roads all started opening again.
Buddy had a pretty painful ride home, but we reclined the front seat as far as it would go, and the painkillers kept him pretty sleepy anyhow.
He is doing well at home, and has not had to use a lot of the painkillers in recent days. And his tutoring/HomeBound program started this week, so he will not be missing a lot of his schoolwork.
All of Buddy’s stuff being said, I want to make a quick plug for the Ronald McDonald House. This is a wonderful organization! They let families stay the night before surgery, and throughout their child’s hospital stay. To stay in a hotel room for a long time can get expensive! Some of the families we got to know were stuck there for months…one over a year! They charged a nominal fee to stay: $15 a night. If a family cannot afford it, they do not charge you. And they feed you dinner each night, as well. Multiple kitchens were set up, so you can cook your meals, for the not offered meals, or if you have dietary concerns which will keep you from eating their dinner. The fridges and cabinets are filled with free food that you can use to prepare stuff, or you can use a food locker to store your private stash of ingredients. The building housed 50 families, and had computers for families to use, entertainment areas, a movie theater, a teen lounge, multiple play areas, multiple laundry areas, and much more. If you are looking for a charity to support, this is a worthy one. (Just put some extra change or whatever in the box when you eat at McDonald’s next.) Or, if you live near one of the Ronald McDonald Houses out there, offer to cook a meal one night.
I will be posting a Black Friday crafting update soon, so be on the lookout!