We did it...we made it through Isaac's first surgery. And I wouldn't mind if it were the last, but Chad keeps assuring me we will have many more injuries with Isaac before he's out of our care (If hospital visits are hereditary, then that is true). The whole process went really well and we were well taken care of at the hospital, but it's always a little scary when you enter the unknown, especially with your child.
We had to be at the outpatient center in Springfield at 6:30am so the day started pretty early. When I took a sleeping Isaac from his bed at 5:40, I was hoping he would fall back asleep on the way there. But, no. Once he is up, he's up and the car doesn't seem to help him sleep. He was happy, though (even when I repeatedly refused to give him his milk since he couldn't drink or eat before the surgery). We got checked in when we arrived and were taken to our room for all the pre-surgery drills. They took his temperature, measured him, weighed him, listened to his heart, asked us questions, etc. But, most of the time was just waiting for our turn. They started the surgeries at 8:00am and there was a whole hallway of babies and kids getting tubes. Isaac was third, as they do the surgeries from youngest to oldest.
By about 8:00, I was feeling pretty nervous. I was most worried about the anesthesia and the whole putting him under part. Every doctor and nurse that came in assured us the surgery was about 3 minutes long and he wouldn't be under for more than 10 minutes. The surgeon told us the procedure was less risky than driving to Springfield in our car. But, it was still a little nerve wracking.
They allow one support person to go back with children while they give them the "gas mask" so we decided I would go. I got to suit up and we waited for our turn.
Our turn came around 8:45. A nurse led us back to the room where they perform the surgery. It was bright and sterile and there were about 5 nurses in there. They had me sit Isaac on the bed and showed him the mask and let him play with it for a few minutes. He had no idea what was going on and was his happy self. Less than a minute later they turned the gas on and put it up to his face. His little eyes looked at mine and it was like he was asking me what was happening. But, it didn't take long for his eyes to start drooping and then close. They laid him back on the bed, told me I could give him a kiss, and then shooed me out. Leaving was the last thing I wanted to do, but obviously I didn't have a choice. I was led back to our room and once I got there the tears came. I knew I was nervous about the whole thing, but I don't think I realized how emotional it would be to watch. I was so thankful I got to go back with him...I'm sure it would have been so scary by himself. But, leaving him like that was really hard. I can't imagine what it must be like for parents that have kids in surgery for hours at a time.
But, about as soon as I had regained my composure, the doctor came back and said it was over and everything looked good. I think the whole process from the mask to the finish of surgery was less than 10 minutes. He said a nurse would come get us shortly after he woke up. And about 10 minutes later we got to go back to recovery where he was being rocked by one of the nurses. It was such a relief to see him with his eyes open and to know he was OK. We sat with him for a little while and he drank a whole cup of apple juice in about 2 minutes. As soon as he had something in him he was ready to go.
We went back to the room one more time and they checked his vitals and that was it. He was already walking the halls and playing with toys. Besides being a little sleepy from his early morning, I never would have known the difference in him. We were home by 10:30am and he actually made it until his afternoon nap before falling asleep. We were and are so proud of him! We continue to learn new things each day about being parents and I learned again that doing something that may not be fun in the short term to help you child in the long term is worth it. Now, we just have to pray that it does help in the long term and Isaac doesn't have to deal with ear infections for awhile.
We are grateful to have the family and friends we do who were praying for him and us and that the Lord once again showed His faithfulness to us. And we're grateful our little Buddy is his happy-go-lucky self! Here are some pictures of our adventure.
It was 5:45 am, but Isaac still had some smiles on our way
to Springfield. The flash is really bright that early!
The rooms were very kid friendly and this fun car helped
pass the time while we did all the pre-surgery stuff.
Isaac looked pretty adorable in his hospital gown...still playing with the car.
Walking up and down the hallway was also a big hit.
Isaac and I before they took him back to surgery.
Back home a couple hours later and as good as new!
