Day +22

What is wrong with the world today? Yesterday after rounds I was so excited that we were given the ok to move back downstairs... I got organized, packed up, and waited. By the afternoon I was getting a little antsy seeing that Georgia looked quite frankly, depressed. She wasn't wanting to engage, staring off and wanted to stay in bed rather than have me pick her up... I kept thinking we need to get out of here now - she needs more stimulation. Brian and I became a dog and pony show doing anything to entertain her.. music, bubbles, toys, dancing - we saw a few signs that she was perking up but still not our girl. I told the nurse that I thought she was depressed and asked if we could go for a walk... this would at least get her out of the room and interacting with people. By the evening time she seemed a little better. Any chance we're going to move I asked... the hospital is full the nurse answered. The hospital is so full that patients were being diverted elsewhere, several rooms on the SCCA floor have three kids in them, the overflow of the overflow is full, nurses are being asked to work overtime. In talking with one of the nurse managers today she said February is always the worst - colds and flu hit otherwise healthy kids and immune compromised kids can't keep up. This is part of it but the other piece is that the PICU needed our bed, five kids were having such serious surgery the next day that they were certainly headed to the PICU afterward. The fact that a children's hospital is fuller than it has been in years is so incredibly sad.
I felt lucky to have a bed in the hospital and knew we'd move in time. At 10:30pm we were told there was likely a bed on the 3rd floor, 10 minutes later we were told it was gone, another kid admitted. We went to sleep and at about 1am our nurse woke me up to say there was a bed for us. After reports were given and we'd loaded up all of our things we made our way back downstairs and were greeted with smiles and hugs. Our room is a bit smaller than the first one we started in and I couldn't care less. We did a lap around the floor at 2am and went to sleep. Today we've been out several times, have had multiple visitors welcoming us back.
Georgia's weight is down to 11.3kg, we're sticking with the diuretics a few more days but with any luck my THIRSTY girl will be able to start drinking tomorrow.
This process and new vantage point on life has changed me. I try and let the simple pleasures be the best memories, things don't need to be expensive or extravagant to be the best, who cares about status or titles, life is about taking it all in and being thankful for things that are so often taken for granted. I keep thinking about the families of the children in this packed hospital, maybe some are just here for the flu but undoubtedly some have had their worlds rocked like we did just a few months ago. I can't make sense of this hospital overflowing, it just isn't right.