Chopper to the Left

Yesterday morning, Sylvie moved back upstairs to Pediatric Oncology, Room 10 this time which is next to the helipad. I imagine it will be very loud of one lands but this is not an every day occurrence. Room 4 is empty but I think they finally understand that we are not nostalgic about Room 4 and it's glacier cold.

Dr. Alexander was surprised at how hungry Sylvie is, so he said to let her eat anything under the assumption that she'll more likely just play with her food. Sylvie has been running a slight fever but Dr. Alexander said that's normal post-surgery especially with Sylvie's lungs being compressed. We MUST get Sylvie up and seated and walking. That should be fun--NOT-- but honestly, it's about time she walked again and we're sick of being Sylvie's sherpas! I know how it felt to walk after having a C-section; I can only imagine how much this will hurt Sylvie. Not to mention she hasn't walked in over 2 months. A few friends and family have asked if Sylvie's leg muscles will atrophy--no. I have a friend whose daughter contracted botulism as an infant and was very seriously ill and immobile for over a year. Now as a toddler, she is running just like any other kid her age. Kids are so resilient. It's like they are a different species than us. Just look at pediatric oncology-- Sylvie's drug combination would literally KILL you or me. Look at her recovery-- you or me would just be getting off a respirator. She might be discharged and is eating egg wraps 3 days post-op. You could argue that our life is a slow death but really, if children's bodies are so strong, what exactly do we do besides grow old to make our bodies' systems deteriorate? Maybe deteriorate isn't the right word but a frame of mind afterall. I was listening to a Patty Griffin song called "Up to the Mountains (MLK song)" while driving my mother-in-law's car yesterday and there's a verse that really resonates with me in that Patty Griffin beautiful melancholy kind of way:
Sometimes I feel like
I never been nothing but tired
And I'll be working
Till the day I expire
Sometimes I lay down
No more can I do
But then I go on again
Because you ask me to

Sylvie was thrilled to come back upstairs yesterday. No offence to PICU but she's very comfortable in her surroundings here and loves her Ped Onc nurse friends. Jette's coming in this week for treatment so I'm sure Sylvie will be happy to see her too. I may enlist Jette to help get Sylvie walking and doing some respiratory exercises. Jette is wise, similarly to Samantha. These girls are very intuitive in a caring way. Sylvie is psychic in a more selfish "what are you going to do to me or for me" kind of way.

I think they will remove Sylvie's drainage tube today. It hangs like a clear hand grenade from her side and collects a little blood and bile.

Michael just saw Katie Holmes & Suri (Sylvie's body double pre-cancer) and Sarah Jessica Parker while walking from the PATH to the store.