There's Cause for Celebration

Paxton did well overnight. He was kept unconscious with the assitance of some good medications. The surgeon wanted to make sure that there was no possible way for him to pull out any of the numerous tubes or wires that were attached to him. Even moreso, they did not want him to reach a level of stress that may compromise the delicate surgery that had just been done the day before.

Scott and Susanne visited with Paxton for the better part of the morning. They made sure to bring him all of his lucky charms that they had with them during his surgery. Some were lucky charms that Paxton had with him since his very first surgery such as his Lucky Bear. Others were lucky charms that were given to Paxton from different people specifically for this heart surgery. He received an "angel of heart" pin from Gigi and Poppy. It was to be worn as a reminder that his heart was safe wherever he may go. Thorny gave Paxton a special shark's tooth that she had found on a beach. It was big and beautiful. It symbolized strength and power. She also gave him a necklace that she had found in Central Park that came with a note that indicated that whoever carried it would have a guardian angel watching over them. Lastly, Uncle Loonie gave Paxton a smurf figurine that had personal significance. He wasn't going to tell anyone what the meaning of it was until after Paxton came home. Scott also bought Paxton a new stuffed monkey for his collection. It had what looked like replacement parts for one of his arms, a leg, and his ears. It resembled Paxton somewhat because he had a makeshift heart. Now Paxton's bed was covered in luck.

Only two people were allowed in Paxton's room at a time, one of which had to be either Scott or Susanne. Throughout the day, they alternated with one another and took each of the grandparents to visit with him. Everyone was pleasantly surprised with how good he looked. Susanne had prepped them for the worst. She based her information on what her colleague had told her about her own experience with her child that had the Glenn procedure along with another type of heart procedure previously. This definitely helped them to be better prepared with what the expectation was postoperatively. The most beneficial piece of information that they were given was that Paxton would have severe migraines for a minimum of two weeks after the operation. The reason for this was because the blood that usually came from the head and upper extremities and entered the right side of the heart was rerouted to empty directly into the vessel that would take it immediately to the lungs. As the body tried to adjust to the new pathway for the blood, the patient would get those intolerable headaches. They were even told that despite Paxton being on strong pain medications, he would still be uncomfortable. Thankfully, he seemed peaceful at the moment.

The family was encouraged to get out of the hospital and enjoy the sites of Boston while Paxton was still out of it. Susanne and Scott had previously been to Boston and toured the city in its entirety. They thought that with their limited time the Duck Tour would be the best way for everyone to get the most out of Boston. The last tour was scheduled for 5:00pm. The tour was going to depart near the Prudential Center which was approximately one mile from the hospital. The crew left the hospital with what they thought was plenty of time. It was halfway through the walk that they realized that they would be cutting it pretty close. Scott's Droid indicated that the walk was going to take about 40 minutes. This was unbelievable to them. They all walked briskly to try to make it on time. Susanne even verged on a slow jog at one point. Unfortunately, by the time they made it to the ticket booth, it was too late. It was exactly 5:00pm and they had sold out of tickets. As always, they turned the pile of lemons into lemonade. They decided to take a nice walk through the public gardens and admire the beautiful landscape. They also visited the original pub that the show Cheers was based off of. As the sun set, they headed back to the Prudential Center where they went to the Top of the Hub restaurant on the 52nd floor to enjoy a few cocktails. It was a perfect place to see all of the city lights and the beautiful skyline. They spent a couple of hours reflecting back on the last few days. They were all so proud of Paxton for being so strong. They couldn't believe that the biggest surgery of his life thus far was actually over.

Later, Aunt Leenie's sister, Kathleen, and her boyfriend met up with everybody to help celebrate. Everyone then decided to relocate and grab a bite to eat at a restaurant called Stephanie's. They were well known for serving "sophisticated comfort food". They also had an exectutive chef that had previously won the Food Network's show CHOPPED. This was very exciting for Susanne since she was a Food Network junkie. The food was delicious, but the company was what made the evening so special.

Before heading back to the Devon Nicole House for the night, Scott and Susanne decided to visit with Paxton for a little bit. It was so comforting to see him resting peacefully even if it was because of medication. What an amazing day.