Straight Shooter
Z, with NO IDEA what is about to befall him. It's such a novelty...all these nurses fawning over him, a new set of threads with cartoon characters, and new toys to keep him distracted...what could be better than that?

He's starting to get a little bit wary...lots of things he's not so sure about...that silly hat, the vitals-taking, that oral medication that's making feel a little loopy...

After surgery, 30 minutes of ear-splitting screaming, and a few extra doses of Demerol, he calms down. They won't let us go until he pees. He's in so much pain, he's definitely holding it in. Tons of IV fluid, apple juice, half a can of soda, and two hours later...we were good to go.

(the nurse's idea to take a pic of us together, I love how he looks so sweet and vulnerable)
The doctor lied, he said the first time he pees he may cry a LITTLE, then the next time a little less, and the third time maybe not at all. But he SCREAMS EVERY SINGLE TIME he pees!

It was such a strange feeling leaving the hospital--like when the babies were preemies--and we were so immersed in the intensity of it and so emotionally wasted, that when we left the hospital to do laundry, eat, or find a friend that was home to use their shower, it was amazing to see that the world did not stop like ours did. That time continued on without us. That people were driving around in their cars going on with their lives as if nothing earth shattering was happening! Hey YOU there, cruise-ship-tourist-walking-down-Ka'ahumanu-Avenue, how can you be doing something as meaningless as SHOPPING while my son was having a metal ROD shoved up his penis, tearing a nice, big slit into it?


But I know that tomorrow it will be better, and next week it'll be thing of the past and it's all good--he's finally a straight shooter! No more peeing all over the floor and wall for him!  ¶ 6:54 PM