February 17th, 2011
It took me 11 days to get over the flu. Now after 51 days at two different hospitals I am finally getting the okay to go home. We left CIMA at 3pm and headed to the hotel to spend one night before heading back home! I am feeling better, breathing great and my grandma and I have a plane ticket booked on Sansa to get me home fast. I was a little cranky the past few days but then hey who would not be little grumpy after all I have been through! My dad is driving home and taking an early ferry to be at home when we arrive!! I cant believe this is actually happening. Is it true? YEAH!! I get to go home!!! 🙂
Grandma Marg and I checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport. We were flying our local puddle jumper that mom and I have always taken together. Once we board the plane I fall asleep. I am really tired right now and sleeping in my grandma’s arms. We start to go down the run way, my mom looks in fear at my grandma and says “are we making the right choice?” “Should I tell the pilot to stop the plane?” Obviously mom is having her doubts about leaving the city and going back out to the jungle where we live.
Well grandma and mom decide it is too late we are going home so up in the air we went. The next thing you now I go into an even deeper sleep. I am turning a pale white color. Mom is pushing on my toes to see if there is color in my feet. There is no color. My mom whips out the oxygen meter and my oxygen before going up in the air was at 95% and now it is at 72%. This is the time when grandma and mom really begin to panic. I mean what do we do? I have no oxygen up there. My lungs are working on overtime to pump air into me. I just want to sleep. Thank the Lord, that the flight is only 25 minutes long. Yes I was without a good supply of oxygen for that long. My mom and grandma are just as pale as me. After going down my O2 has gone back up into the 80’s. Paw Paw Brown is waiting to pick us up at the airport. We get in the car with him only to find out the airconditioner in his car is broken. I mean it is really hot and dusty here right now and a major climate change for me after being in San Jose for so long. Mom just wants to get me home and get me on some oxygen. Bump bump bump goes the ride home mom and me skin to skin and sweating!
Luisa, and Bismark are home to greet us and of course Selva and Indio were thrilled to see us! I wish I was feeling a little better but I am exhausted. Dad just called mom and he is 15 minutes from home with the oxygen machine. Dad gets home rushes upstairs and I finally begin to get a good flow of oxygen in me. My O2 goes back up into the 90’s and right now I just need to take a good nap and breathe in the O2. I sleep for a few more hours and then we tested my oxygen on my own and I am now breathing good again. Whew, that was a close call. Would have been a good idea for one of the docs to mention to me that flying in an unpressurized plane at this moment was not a good idea. Nonetheless I am home and am so thankful for that!
Love Malia