Recovery

There is nothing like one's child having surgery to make one slow down a bit.  This has certainly been the case with Charlotte's tonsillectomy.  We are in Day Four of being housebound while she recovers!

I've found the process difficult to watch.  Seeing my child in pain is, obviously, not much fun.  Charlotte is normally active and bright-eyed, eager to go to tae kwon do and French lessons, happily practicing piano, and spending her free time making up fantastical games with her brother in the basement, now that the weather is keeping us inside.

For the past three days, she's been lying on the couch, barely able to summon up the energy to read a book!  I think that she must have slept six hours yesterday, not even once asking to watch a movie or to play computer games.  Yikes.

Unfortunately for her, she is passing through every one of the stages of tonsillectomy recovery.  Ear ache?  Check.  Stomach trouble from the pain medication and antibiotic?  Check.  Black eyes from adenoid removal?  Check.  Reluctance to talk or eat?  Check.  And we still have the famous Day Five or Six "relapse" when the scabs start coming off of her throat.

Ick.  This is a really rowdy surgery.  I must say I am glad that I never had to have it.  The one thing that Charlotte has done consistently is drink cold water and eat chopped up popsicles.  This may keep her from getting dehydrated.  As she has a phobia of needles, all I have to do is mention that, if she doesn't eat or drink appropriately, she'll have to go get an IV at the hospital.  So far, so good.

I've been able to take the time here at home with no school or other obligations to get my blog relaunched.  I've been writing entries for two months in my head...it's nice to have a real forum again!  I've also been doing a bit of work in our little home improvement project in the basement.  Yesterday, it was cleaning out a room to get it ready to paint.  Today, I'm taking down ceiling tiles and braces from the drop ceiling in the bathroom so I can remove the rest of the wallpaper, also in preparation of painting.

I'll probably write more about about refinishing our finished basement later on!  For a couple of diehard, non-do-it-yourselfers, this has been quite the experience.

In any case, a little down time is good.  Right?!