Katy Dickinson

Hospital Update

As I wrote yesterday, we are in Lucille Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) in Palo Alto, California, where my 16-year-old son is recovering from brain biopsy surgery. Paul is doing better today: he took a wheelchair ride to one of the roof gardens, ate some lunch, and has taken two walks up and down the hall outside his room. If he keeps up with this good recovery progress, he can go home tomorrow.

Mostly we spend our day watching by Paul's bed. From time to time, we help him with his covers, call the nurse when some machine beeps in a loud and agitated manner, or get Paul up to walk around again. The other family in our room mostly speaks Spanish but we communicate well enough to share the space. They brought in an amazing gelatin cake this morning for their son - white gelatin with stained-glass-like insets of red, green, yellow, and orange gelatin. Our family is celebrating my mother's birthday this afternoon (a little late due to Paul's medical situation) so we will be able to share our cake in return.

Our hospital room also shared a small religious service today. Two women from the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church pastoral care team brought us the bread and wine reserve consecrated at this morning's Eucharist service so that we could be part the celebration.

LPCH has a theme of sea creatures on its signage and fixtures. Chairs are decorated with cut out starfish and turtles; octopi and rays glow from lighted frosted glass panels set into the walls. Signs are in English, Spanish, and Braille. I would rather that Paul not be sick but LPCH is a wonderful place to get better.

Paul at Packard Hospital

Babar the Elephant, art at LPCH

Navajo Storyteller, art at LPCH

LPCH Octopus sign

LPCH Octopus wall window

LPCH roof garden

Photos Copyright 2009 by Katy Dickinson

Posted at 05:15PM Feb 08, 2009 by katysblog in Home & Family  |  Comments[1]