Mr. Clean

It was a poopy day, literally, but after 9 1/2 hours, Caleb was given a clean bill of health.

The day started with an x-ray at 8:30 a.m. It confirmed that the GoLytely cleanout procdeure was definitely needed. Caleb dressed in the nifty hospital jammies, his nervousness evident in his somber mood, and we settled in for a long day.

Caleb proved to be a patient extraordinaire! First, his nose was numbed to make the insertion of the nasogasteric tube more bearable, but we were warned that it would still be uncomfortable. It was obviously difficult for him as he coughed and whinced but the only tears came from my eyes. I hated to see him struggle. Once the tube was in place and securely taped, Caleb tolerated it quite well. The IV was next, which was done by a nurse who specializes in IVs, and she marveled at his bravery. His eyes widen with an intense stare, but he didn't even flinch! Finally, the bags were connected to the pump and it was time to get the juices flowing.


We were instructed to walk up and down the hall every half-hour to encourage movement. Caleb was self-conscience about the way he looked and didn't want anyone to see him so he walked really fast. So fast that we could barely keep up.

As the day progressed, he started to perk up. He was in good spirits as he contentedly watched far more TV than he is ever allowed in one day at home. There were, of course, lots of interruptions for hallway walks and bathroom visits.


He hadn't been allowed to eat or drink but when lunch time approached it was determined that things were progressing well enough for a popscicle. He savored every icy bit and was thrilled that he even got his favorite color, red!

The highlight of his day was when Grandma brought the girls to see him. It gave him a nice boost. He was really taken by Alyssa's thoughtful gift, a Ratatouille balloon!

A rough afternoon followed the girls' departure. Caleb became very lethargic, hardly spoke, and intense nausea caused some vomiting. He desperately wanted to sleep and I did let him rest for a short while before the nurse instructed me otherwise. She said that I should not let him sleep and forced the poor boy to sit up by raising the head of his bed.

The afternoon also brought IV troubles. Because it was placed in the crook of his arm, it got kinked when he tried to play his Leapster and they needed to call the specialist back in to look at it. She was able to salvage it but its alarm sounded regularly for the remainder of the day.

An X-ray at 4:45 showed that he was almost entirely clear. The day was coming to an end and the clinic personell were heading home. No one wanted to stay longer on a Friday afternoon so we were feeling their urgency to get us gone. Caleb's dosage was upped significantly for the next 45 minutes to expel the last small amount of you-know-what that appeared on the x-ray. It made him quite sick but at the end of it all it was determined that he was clean and ready to go home. The rest of the clinic was dark and quiet and it was clear that except for Robin, our nurse, we were the only people remaining.

I got my parking ticket validated right at 6:00 p.m., just seconds before the main floor receptionist went home for the day. Caleb, dressed in his street clothes, was looking better already! We had promised Caleb that when he was finally cleared to eat he could choose the location and eat whatever he wanted. Initially he wasn't feeling well enough for a restaurant but after being home for an hour or so, he decided on McDonalds. Of all places, that was his first choice? He filled his tummy and though he is still making frequent bathroom visits, (twice at McDonalds alone) he is back to his normal spunky little self.

We're sure glad it's over. He is clean. Now the trick is to keep him that way.