December 2011: 3rd Surgery -Picture Story

Wednesday: Lil Ben, modeling his superhero cape given to him by his classmates to help him through his surgery! This was the night before. December 7th- also, his sisters birthday!

Picture of all the kids from the birthday dinner:

Thursday: Pre-Op. This is the nurse anesthetist is pushing him to surgery in a cozy coupe!

Post Op Recovery Room.  This was so much better than in the past.  There was no screaming and thrashing about.  As we walked around the corner of the recovery room, he was laying on his side with his eyes open.  When he saw me he tried to sit up and he started to cry a little....a think more from relief from seeing us, that anything else.  He soon fell back to sleep.

In the PICU at Vandy.  I was worried he would pull his IV or catheter out, so I put a sock I had in my suitcase over his hand. But then he fell back to sleep.

When he woke up for a couple of minutes, I was able to convince him to smile for a picture.

Eating a purple popsicle later that evening.  He was so funny- he got really mad at the nurse, because he wanted an Icee and she kept telling him they didn't have any.  He said, in real hateful voice; "I SAW IT on the MENU!!"  I couldn't help but laugh. I had to explain to her that in post op recovery, they had shown him a picture of 4 items: juice, popsicle, coke, and Icee and asked him what he wanted.  He was so out of it, that I chose a popsicle for him, but he really never ate it.  I felt bad when I realized his missed his opportunity for that Icee!! and apparently he wasn't that out of it,because he remembered the "menu"!

I got a real good nights sleep after I showed Lil B how to use the nurse call button.  The night before I had gotten up every 15 minutes from 9pm til midnight.  I was so exhausted after having been up since 4:30am, that I finally slid into the bed next to him, figuring I could help with most of his issues easily if I were right there.  Well, as soon as my butt hit the mattress, the nurse came in to inform me of the "rules." I told her I was well aware of the rules from 4 years ago.  I then handed lil Ben the nurse call remote.  I explained to him that if he needed to use the restroom, had a sick tummy, his head hurt, he wanted his movie swapped out or restarted- to hit the nurse call button. He did so good! He didn't call my name until 7:30 the next morning.  The poor nurse probably spent 90% of her time in his room during the night.  I really didn't feel TOO bad about this because I know that Dr. Fearon's hospital in Texas allows the parents to climb in the bed with the kids. That their rules are: whatever is best for that child.  Vandy, unfortunately, has the same rules for everyone....and since all kids in the ICU are not medically stable enough for parents to lay with them, then no parents can lay with their children.  Oh, well. I got a good nights sleep and was so much better able to take care of him in the morning.

Friday: The first morning after surgery! I was shocked to see that his eyes never swelled shut during the night!

He is playing spongebob games on the nickelodeon website.

Daddy finally arrived Friday late in the morning.  He brought a gift that Poppy had bought for Lil Ben.  It was kind of a big toy, but he had begged for it non-stop since he woke up from surgery.  So daddy brought it and they spent about an hour assembling it in it the ICU.  Lil Ben was so bossy- telling us where all the pieces and stickers went.

About lunch time, the day after surgery, I requested to move to a regular room.  Lil Ben had never needed any additional blood after the actual surgery, his eyes never swelled shut and he never ran a temperature. He was so bored sitting in the ICU bed.  I knew that if we moved to a regular room, he would be able to go to the playroom.  So later that afternoon they moved us.  The next day we were finally able to get to the playroom.

Saturday: In the playroom checking out all the cool toys.......

Until he discovered the foosball table! He was so happy to make up his own rules and beat me numerous times using those rules!

Then he discovered MarioKart......getting some ideas for Christmas gifts!

Sunday: Discharge Day!
When the doctor came to see us Sunday morning, I asked if we could be discharged! I presented my case- Lil Ben was NOT vomiting, drinking and eating fine, off IV fluids since the day before, was taking very little pain medication, and was so extremely active that I was afraid that he would get hurt trying to get in and out of the high hospital bed.  Not to mention I was worried that I would slip into a coma, if I had to watch one more repeat episode of scooby doo!! Despite a slight fever that morning, the doc agreed with me and decided to discharge us!!

This was our final trip to the playroom about an hour before we left to go home.  From this angle you can't even tell he had surgery.  His surgical incision and tape are not showing.