After a slow start yesterday on the road to recovery, today we are definitely on the right track and making up for lost time. Anya's "wips" are getting better and the swelling has gone down a ton. We got two new chap sticks today (used up everything we had brought in the first day) and she is now happily joining in on all the activities and goodies offered here.  Her throat is still a little scratchy/sore from the breathing tube but she has had NO palate pain at all yet!

Below is a sampling of why Anya loves having surgery at LA's Shriners. She has scored two stuffed animals, a jungle pillow, a musical pillowcase, a small crocheted blanket, two large picture frames that she painted, two small picture frames which we decorated with markers. a mickey mouse helium balloon, one soccer ball, large foam dice, over-sized old maid cards, tee shirt and matching pin, and an electronic 21 questions game.  We also have played lotteria (mexican bingo..think fast paced Spanish-only bingo), had three dog visits with pictures, had a visit with the Spanish ESPN radio show(where we got the soccer ball) and gotten our picture taken in the ham-radio room.  Top this off with about 20 games of Uno, 30 games of Mancala, 4 movies on the Mickey Mouse shaped TV/DVD player at our bedside, and 15 chocolate ice creams...All of a sudden, surgery isn't quite as bad as it could be!


Anya also had today's nurse talked into letting her flush her own IV.  It was like watching a snail cross the road..that is how slowly Anya felt her IV should be flushed..the nurse was much more patient with her than I would have been.