Well, maybe it wasn't a REAL word, but we'll get to that in a minute...
Last week our home health nurse came to change the dressing around Kimball's PICC line, and when she was screwing a new cap on the end...crack! A permanent plastic part of the line had cracked. Instead of installing a new one, they just decided that Kimball would receive the rest of his chemo treatments by IV. The nurse removed the line right then and there. I had turned my back to grab something, and when I turned around again, she had already pulled it out! Easy as pie. And the hole in Kimball's arm has already healed over. Speaking of the rest of his treatments, he only has two left! In two weeks he will undergo one more sedated MRI, and assuming the results are good, which we are, that will be his last day of chemo...hopefully forever!
It was strange not having the PICC line at first. It's probably hard to understand, but I was almost a little...sad! I enjoyed the time when, twice a day, I or Jordan would flush it out and change his bandage. Kimball never minded; he seemed to like it too. We'd sing the ABCs as a timer for rubbing the end of the line with an alcohol wipe, and I'd teach him his colors as we picked a new bandage for the day. It was just such a part of our routine. But now I think it's great he doesn't have a PICC line anymore. For one thing, he can have a bath without having his arm wrapped in various layers of plastic wrap, grocery bags, and rubber bands. I called him the "Saran Man".
I was nervous for his IV today. He's had needles stuck in him before, and he hasn't liked it! But amazingly, Kimball gave three little whines when they stuck his hand, and that was it! No tears. I'm not dreading the next two quite so much anymore. He is such a little trooper, and my hero! (And a flirt. I think something that helped him through was gazing and smiling at two pretty nurses the whole time. He would grab his feet and do his "squinty grin".)
So back to his "word". Today I held his bottle in front of him, he looked at it, and clearly said... "hee-yay". Yeah, so maybe it's not in a language we understand, but it sure sounded like speech. It was adorable, anyway.
11 comments:
Yay for no more PICC line! I love hearing the "words" babies babble. It really is adorable, and so much fun!
That's so exciting about his treatments! I'm sure you're all just ecstatic...Kimball included :). Haha, I love his first word. Maybe he'll be a cowboy.
Hurray! Such great news about both! Madeline has been saying "deedaa" for about a year now and we still have no idea what it means, but it's part of her and so sweet when she says it.
The sweetest sounds are those made by a smiling baby! And Kimball is a littler smiler!
Wow, I think Kimball is handling everything better than I would have...getting a tube pulled out of your arm? I can't even think about it. I'm glad his treatments are almost over, it will make life a lot easier for you guys!
That is so great that you are almost finished with treatments. He is such a little trooper! Congratulations on the first words. They grow up so fast!!!
See? See? What have I been telling you all along about the Saran Man being a baby genius?!!! His first word! At five months! He is a smarty-pants, that one :)
I love that you sang the abc's to him as you cleaned the end of his line, thus teaching him the alphabet, keeping him entertained, and making sure that the little guy doesn't get an infection. What a wonderful mommy you are.
Hey You!
Thanks so much for being such sweet friends. Jordan was an angel for helping us move. I'm so glad to have the blogs to keep in touch. :) Good luck with the rest of the treatments. Sweet, little boy. He's learning early to be a fighter . . . and smile through it. Missing you.
WTG Kimball. The treatments are just about a thing of the past. He does have a very happy smile and a sparkle in his eyes. His next words soon will be ..... Can I have the keys to the car?
LOL, Gwyl. Thanks everyone for your support of Kimball and us!
I was hoping you'd enjoy the photo. It was so funny to me to see that and remember that time. It seems like we were in high school forever ago. That was a whole different lifetime. I am so excited that Kimball got his line out. Now he can enjoy the summer doing little boy things: splashing the girls at the pool, splashing mommy & daddy in the pool etc. You'll just have to find some other time to sing the ABC's to him. =) Keep up the wonderful work! He's so cute!
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