Oh for crying out loud!

After the MRI yesterday, Dr. Iskandar (neurosurgeon extraordinaire)  told Thom that he wished he had gotten more out, again.  But we are not going back in for a 3rd shot.  Dr. Iskandar did say that he thought Ellie was doing amazingly well after all she has been through in the last week.   According to Thom, Ellie was asking to peel crayons this morning at 4am, so kinda "back to baseline but with turban". 

We are doing an EKG right now because Ellie's heart rate continues to be low, although not as low as it was a few days ago (she is now in the 70s vs. being in the 50s a few days ago normal is between 80-120).  I suspect they are checking it because her blood pressure was a bit high yesterday after surgery.  After her MRI on Monday, the nurse told me that if Ellie were in the ER she would be considered to be in cardiac arrest by her heart rate alone.  But because she was in the hospital and doing fine, it was not considered a problem.  Might have been better for me to actually not know that and here I am telling you, how inconsiderate is that?  Just trying to keep the drama alive here. 

Also, word on the street is that we may be moved to another room, as soon as one becomes available, hopefully today.  This little experiment has shown that perhaps 2 brain surgery patients in the same room is not the best plan.  Because we need this room to be super quiet, Ben has been going to Tyler's place a couple of hours a day.  It is a playroom for siblings of patients.  Ben loves it there and when Thom went to pick him up yesterday, Ben asked him to come back in half an hour because he had just started a new project.  Ellie's classmate, incredible Izzy, asked Ben over for a playdate and everyday Ben asks me if it is the day to see Izzy.

A huge thanks to Janna, Thom's friend/co-worker who set up meals for us.  And the amazing thing is the meals that she has arranged have been perfectly coordinated on the nights when we do not have a meal served at the hospital (there are free family meals served approximately every other day) .  On Monday night (was it Monday?  I'm on hospital time so a bit discombobulated), someone dropped off veggie chili, homemade zucchini bread, ice cream and hot fudge.  Total delicious feast and so nice to come home to, rather than trying to figure out dinner from the hospital.  Then, my aunt Suzanne sent us some yummy English muffins made in Kansas City.  And THEN Ellie's occupational therapist at school sent us a Panera Bread Company gift card because Panera is close to the hospital.  I say all this not only to say, "Wow!  Thanks!!"  But to let everyone know that we are being well fed.   The very first time Ellie was in the hospital that was one of my sister's greatest concerns, that I was not gettin enough to eat.