Those who made it possible

TICU

TICU stands for Touch and Incredible Compassion Unit (don't believe the sign above the door, intensive care something.  Somebody who doesn't know the real character of the place designed it).  It is where we spent most of the last year with Liam.  I can't say enough good things about this place, which felt like home for so many nights. 

The beginning wasn't easy for any of us.  We "tried" other floors in the hospital until we ended there.   I'm not gonna pretend that we loved each and every professional we ever met there, but in the big scheme, things smoothed out over time.  Word of who Liam is finally made it through the computer system (I don't know how many times we had to answer the same ____ questions over and over and over again.  H-E-L-L-O, look it up BEFORE you come in, Dr.)  They learned who we are and we learned who the-many-they are. 

Trust and working relationships were built.  But with the nurses it evolved to much more than that.  You see, the Drs you see every so often.  The nurse is right there on the floor, in the room with you.  day and night.  It evolved to REAL care - both ways.  Liam nurses, like the rest of the world, got magically attached to her (I think she's like a spider.  Just laying there quietly, motionless, yet she's able to lure people to er web.)  And we got attached to them. 
 
The one thing I'm sorry about, and it's nobody's fault, is that the TICU folks never got to meet the REAL Liam.  The happy, loves to eat, loves to joke, loves to laugh, loves to love.  They only saw her at her worst.

The goodbye hugs and the tears shed when we left the floor for the last time were genuine.  They were not just sad tears because Liam will never be back there, but care tears for each other.  We feel like they are part of our family - no exaggeration.  

Our door is always open and welcoming, you TICU folks.  Any time. 


Happy new year?
Today is the Jewish new year.  The common blessing or greeting is Happy New Year (how genuine!).  How happy will be our year?  What will life without Liam be like?  Is it even "right" to wish us to be happy without Liam?
I think that in the long run we'll be ok.  We will be happy.  We're happy people by choice.  But ,I'm not sure that the new year will be very happy.

Anyway, this may be a good time to look at the year past and thank all the people who were involved.  Without your help Liam's last year in this world would have been a lot worse.  So big THANKS!