It is 5:45 am and Ravi is up and grinning like a madman. Actually, he never really went to sleep last night. He seems to have gotten his days and nights flipped, which in a hospital, is easy to do. He slept relatively well two nights ago but was up and ready to go at 4am. He stayed up until about 10 am and then crashed for a few hours in a deep sleep. Midafternoon on Sunday he woke up and has been up ever since. He is not in any apparent distress. He is not hungry, per se. He is very smiley and interactive, which is a joy to see. He is just…up. At a little after 5am I gave up on the idea of sleep, got his and my shoes on, and with the help of a night assistant, we went out for a tour of the ward. He was happy to see all his friends at the nursing station. They all joked and said that he had become a night nurse. Back in our room turned down food and his beloved Sam. Right now, I am typing this, and he is grinning at Amy, the night assistant. I have no idea when he is going to crash. I deeply hope that this lack of sleep does not cause a seizure. If we can wean him off his small dose of morphine today, he might be able to go home tonight.
Ordinarily, I would be grumpy at having had no sleep at all. I am not grumpy. I am overjoyed. Ravi is back! He is smiling and stimming and being his usually Boo-like self. Using Sam, he told me he was happy and excited. These are all very good things. It has been weeks since I have seen him smile or heard him laugh. I will stay up all night for those things.
So, count your blessings. Pass the coffee! Boo is up and all is good with the world. Peace out and be good humans.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 