The Vent is Gone!!!

What an AMAZING morning.  Just when you think things can't get better, they do!  I get down to his room at the 6:15 visit wearing my PJs thinking I'll see him and then go get clothes on.  Noooooo. He had just started his breathing tests to see if he would be able to breathe on his own.  He rocked it!  And by 7:30 am the orders were in to take out his Ventilator.  Well of course we are on "Hospital Time" and we had several hours before all that actually happened.  During these last few quiet hours, Graham was very agitated and anxious.  He kept wanting things, we couldn't understand him, and he was getting so frustrated and angry.  It was so hard and frustrating to not be able to help him.  His writing got larger, his brow furrowed tighter, and at times his head was so purple I thought it was going to pop. 
Then finally Dr. Rosenblatt, his doctor, came back and EVERYTHING changed.  He and Graham have the best relationship.  Graham trusts him 100% and you could see the relief in his eyes when he saw his Dr. show up.  He even got impatient while Rosenblatt was reading up on him.  But whatever Rosenblatt said, Graham did.  Graham became calmer and took everything in stride.  He was scoped, without any pain meds, and didn't wince once - he's such a trooper!  The average person is put under he sedation.  The scope was really cool to watch.  And if you know me, you'd be really proud, I didn't get weak or faint once!  We go to see both lungs on the inside and where the sutchers were connecting his body to the new lungs.  Everything looked great and the Dr was very pleased.  He took a few pictures and not 10 minutes later told Graham to cough and the Vent was out.  Then 2 more minutes went by and his feeding tube was pulled.  One by one we got to see all the big machines leave the room.  What a relief.  All that practicing breathing yesterday paid off.  He started off slow at first, but after 15 minutes he was a pro.  When I asked him how it felt all he could say was "Weird!"  The poor guy hasn't breathed like that EVER!
And now that there is no tape or tubes preventing him to talk, he has NOT SHUT UP!  And it is awesome, he is already making us laugh again.  First off, what was making him so angry all this week was all of his hallucinations from the morphine.  He swore his bed could slide up and down and that there was a couch with all his friends on it.  He was a little irritated at his friends for not talking to him.  Then there were the random short people at the foot of his bed he could barely see.  He kept asking to have his bed lowered and was frustrated these people couldn't see over it.  Now he thinks it is all hilarious and I feel better that I was doing all I could do. 
He has now walked a little and is sitting up in a chair.  Anyone who walks in the room gets to hear about how he can't wait to play and run with his little girl.  I'm still in shock at how flipping cool and amazing this is.  Just this Sunday he couldn't make it from the bedroom to the kitchen and now he has a new set of lungs and talking about running.  What a miracle, the worst is finally over!