Where To Begin????

I've debated writing this for a while because I try to only blog about stupid stuff, but I'm going to break with that tradition for a minute. We've had a lot happening here lately and I've been trying to keep people updated through e-mails and such, but haven't really had much time. This will be simpler, at least for me.

On Friday the Blonde One had surgery to correct his Pectus Excavatum. It was first noticed by a pediatrician when he was about 6 months old. Rather than have it corrected at that time (most pre-teen corrections aren't successful), we talked with a second pediatrician who advised us to just have it followed on a yearly basis because sometimes kids outgrow it. When the Blonde One was about ten y/o, he was examined by a specialist who said it was no longer necessary to have the follow-ups.

That was great news, until his growth spurt kicked in.

About a year ago I noticed that the "sunken" appearance had returned, and that his chest was lopsided. I pretty much knew what would follow. After numerous medical appointments and tests (all of which had to be repeated after we moved), we were finally able to schedule the surgery.

His PE wasn't as severe as some that I've seen, and most people didn't even realize he had it. There were no other health issues (thank God) related to the PE, other than a slight decrease in heart/lung function because of the sternum pressing on his heart and lungs. He has played soccer all his life and could usually hold his own against anyone, but in the past two seasons he did get fatigues more quickly than other players. Last month he beat both the Diva and me in theNiketown 5-K.

So, Friday was the big day.

He had to be at the Admissions Office at Tripler at 8:30 in the morning, so we got to fight the Honolulu rush-hour traffic in the rain. It's normally a 20-minute drive, but it ended up taking an hour. Once we arrived and filled out the appropriate paperwork, we were sent upstairs to the Surgery Admissions Center where more paperwork was done, his vitals were taken, and he had to change into the fashionable hospital gown/robe combo. He also got the matching gripper socks, and we were sent down to the Surgery Waiting area to wait until he was called. Estimated waiting time: 1-2 hours.

The funny thing about military medical facilities is that they attempt to be efficient by herding patients through their treatment. When I was pregnant with the Blonde One I got to experience this. For routine appointments, they would call a dozen of us from the waiting room at the same time. We would all line up with our urine samples while they did the dip strip, then line up again to have our weight checked and vitals done. Then we were herded to a second waiting area where we waited in line to see the next available doctor. This is one reason I am so against government controlled healthcare. But that's a different tangent for a different day.

Anyway, back to Friday. When we arrived in the Surgery Waiting area, there were about a dozen people already there, half of them in their hospital ensemble. Apparently there were ten operating rooms, all assigned to different departments, so we just had to wait for "our" OR to open up. The Blonde One was still pretty calm and was busy playing games on my cell phone while we waited.

I had a minute where I thought of the Friend in Tucson (because this sounds like something that would happen to her). Two of the patients in the waiting area were young military guys and they seemed a bit uncomfortable wearing nothing but the gown/robe/slipper combo. They kept tugging at their gowns and adjusting the robes, making sure everything was covered. Eventually one of them dozed off and, ummm, relaxed a bit too much. Not sure what the proper procedure is when something like that happens....

We waited about an hour before they called his name and we were taken back to the Pre-Op room. It was pretty chaotic because there were about 8-10 beds separated by those divider curtains. Nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and residents were all going in different directions. The Blonde One was shown his bed and helped on to it.

This is where he started to get nervous. It was cold back there and he started shaking quite a bit (so did I), so the nurse brought two warm blankets - one for each of us. The Incredibly Amazing Surgeon showed up and started explaining what would be happening, step-by-step. (This is where I almost lost it.)

After she left, the Pain Control Team showed up and inserted the IV. This was the hardest part. (I've had those things before and know they hurt like Hell.) The Blonde One was still shaking and debating whether to be awake or asleep for the epidural. They said it is easier to make sure it gets placed right if he is awake, but after just having the IV put in he wasn't sure he was up for it. I tried to explain that it isn't as painful as the IV, and it would be better for him in the long run if he could be awake, but he was still skeptical.

This is when he got his first dose of Loopy Juice.

Within minutes he was giggling and having a great time. Looking at my face amused him for quite a while, then he noticed how hysterical his hands could be. He wriggled his fingers in front of his face, giggled, moved his hand far away and close and far away and close.....He doesn't remember anything from that point on.

He was wheeled off to the OR and I was sent to the waiting area with a promise that they would call when the surgery was actually beginning, when they were finished, and when he was in recovery. It was now about 10:30 and I had to find some way to occupy myself for 3-5 hours. (This was a different waiting area, so there would be no peep shows to pass the time.)

At 11:15 they called and let me know that they were just starting the surgery.

The waiting room was freezing cold, but fortunately I still had my 'blankie'. I wrapped up in it, tried to read, watched TV, made a few phone calls, tried to read again....

At 12:30 the Incredible Amazing Surgeon popped her head in the door and let me know she was finished. She said everything went amazingly well and that the post-op people were "finishing up". When they were done he would be taken to recovery where I could join him.

By the way, the Hubster had taken the day off and was home being me for the day. It was quite the experience for him.

It seemed like forever before they finally came to get me.

There's nothing you can ever do to prepare yourself to see your child (even if he is bigger than you) laying on a hospital bed with tubes and wires and monitors attached to every part of his body. He had absolutely no color in his skin and his eyes were red from crying. The Pain Control Team told me that there had been a slight problem with the epidural - it was only numbing a small band across his chest, so he was in a LOT of pain when he came out of surgery. They did some adjustments and eventually got it right, but in the meantime every breath the Blonde One took was excruciatingly painful. (He later told me that he just wanted to stop breathing for a while because it just hurt too much.)

He was still wearing an oxygen mask, but was trying to talk to me. When I finally understood him, he was saying, "Thank you for staying here with me."

I told him I wasn't going anywhere, then almost passed out. I'm such a wuss. Other than a banana for breakfast, I hadn't eaten all day. I had hardly slept in two days, and the stress of seeing him there like that just got to me. They had to bring me a chair so I could sit for a while.

I am totally in awe of my Friend Since Kindergarten who has been thru numerous surgeries with her babies. It's hard enough when they are older, but when they are so tiny and can't communicate....I don't think I'm tough enough to handle that.

We spent about two hours in recovery while we waited for everything to stabilize. There was one funny moment when the Pain Control Team came by and were telling us what the plans were for pain management for the entire hospital stay. When they were finished, they asked if we had any questions. I didn't, but the Blonde One was trying to ask something. He still had his oxygen mask on, so I leaned in to listen to his question to pass along to Pain Control Guy.

He said, "Ask them how long until I can boogie board."

Anyway, after he was stabilized he was taken up to the Pediatric Ward where he was placed in the Helicopter Room. Nurse Stephanie, the Most Amazing Nurse Ever, introduced herself and took charge.

I stayed with him through the day, until I knew that everything was okay. (That's the control freak in me.) He was pretty doped up and sleeping in longer intervals, so I felt okay going home for the night. When I left, he had wires everywhere - I counted ten different things attached to different parts of his body.

(By the way, his chest looks amazing!)

I left the hospital at about 6:30 and once again got caught in the rush hour traffic in the rain. I got home at about 7:30 and the Hubster passed the baby off to me, sat in the chair to watch TV and was asleep before 9 p.m. I guess he decided it's tougher being Me than he realized.

Saturday morning we all (except the Diva, of course) went to visit the Blonde One. He seemed to be doing really well. He had great color in his face and was able to stay awake long enough to have actual conversations with us. I quizzed him and the nurses about how things were going, and everything looked great. We told him we were going to head home to get the Little Guy a nap and we would be back later in the day.

We had been home for about two hours when he called and was very upset. Apparently his temp had jumped to over 103 degrees and he started having pain spikes. The nurses and Pain Control Team came in and gave him something for the pain and fever, but he still wasn't feeling well. He asked if we could bring him a fan because it was so hot up there. (I had spent the entire day before covered in a blanket because it was freezing in his room.)

The Hubster had gone up to his office for a few hours, so I grabbed a fan and the kids (including the Diva this time) and headed back to the hospital. This time I got caught in the football traffic. The hospital is in the same direction as Aloha Stadium where the UH game would be kicking off in a couple hours.

By the time I arrived, he was doing better. The nurses had just had him out of bed and sitting in a chair. He never imagined it would be so difficult to do something as simple as sit in a chair. He was very weak and lightheaded because of all the medication he was on, so he was back in bed in just a couple minutes.

He did manage to eat some solid foods while we were there - a piece of bread and apple pie. He passed on the "salisbury steak platter", as would anyone.

And that's where we are now.

The biggest issue with this surgery is pain control. Everyone told us it would be an extremely painful recovery, and the hospital stay was simply to monitor pain. The goal is to have the epidural removed by Day Four, switch over to IV painkillers for a day or two, then as soon as he is able to control the pain through pills, he will be able to come home. He still has the epidural, the IV, the oxygen tube, chest monitors, a catheter, an oxygen monitor, and leg-warmer type thingies that inflate/deflate on his calves to prevent blood clots. Hopefully each day he can lose a few 'attachments' and be home 5-7 days post-op.

And now I'm off to bed....