Over the course of December his one tooth abscessed. It was bad, but thankfully he wasn't in that much pain. We scheduled an OR, and were ready to get it all taken care of when insurance notified us that we would end up paying his full deductible, and it would not roll over to another year. Ouch!
Our wonderful pediatric dentist assured us that he would be fine to wait another two weeks for the new year. She loaded us up with lots of presciptions and antibiotics for our two weeks of Christmas in Ohio, and urged us to go to the ER there his tooth situation worsened. She had graduated from OSU, and loved our boys from the moment she saw them in their Buckeye warm up suits! Better yet, they always call out to her O-H......and she always responds I-O. It's really cute - and needless to say we're her favorites.
Unfortunately with the flu hitting us this Christmas, our second surgery date was pushed back yet again. They wanted to wait till February, but his teeth wouldn't wait - and our pediatrician cleared him for surgery mid January. So, two days before Dan and I headed out for my birthday weekend, Nathan went in for surgery.
We agreed the night before that Dan would take him first thing in the morning and get him checked in. The more emotionally secure one, Dan, was strong enough for both of us! I waited at the house with Drew, and woke him up in just enough time to see Nathan before he headed back.
We walked back into the pre-op room and he was all smiles! So cute in his little gown and slippers, he was oblivious to what was about to transpire. They had given him coloring books, and his own remote for the tv. The boy was in his heaven, and blissfully unaware.
I was an emotional wreck, feeling guilty for all of the pain my son had to endure, and thankfully was able to hold it together until they took him back. Dan was able to go back with him - and be the strong one. The nurses had done a wonderful job preparing Dan for the flinching that Nathan's body would do - just before he fell into his deep sleep. Dan said it was quite unnerving to see him in that state, especially when his body fought the anesthesia. It took 4 nurses to hold Nathan down as his body fought it. He was thankful to be the one back there with him, and knew it would have rattled me to the core. (As if I wasn't rattled enough already).
Dr. Ashley was wonderful, and came out as soon as she was done. She had a sweet little package for Nathan which included a bear, along with the tooth they had pulled. The surgery did take about 30 min. longer than she expected - but everything was just fine and went smoothly.
After chatting with her for twenty minutes or so, they came and got me to go see Nathan in post-op. He had finally woken up and was asking for me. The poor boy was so out of it, groggy, and grumpy. He wanted me to hold him, and thankfully there was a rocking chair next to his bed.
His little face was all swollen, there was dried blood on his nose, and sticky tape on his face. The poor kid looked as if he had just been in a war zone. As he dozed in and out of consciousness he asked that I not rock him - and then asked to go home. He was done with this place. The nurse told him he needed to eat a popsicle, and be able to keep it down in order to go home. He grabbed the popsicle out of her hands and started gnawing on it like a little chipmunk. It was so cute and funny as his lips were numb.
We were soon able to head back to our room - and that's when he got sick to his stomach. He has always been a good puker, and has always made it to the toilet. He was a little confused that now, in the hospital he could puke in a bucket. He was insistent on going to the bathroom - so tubes and all - we headed to the bathroom. Thankfully his IV was still in so they were able to give him some anti-nausea medicine right away, and that seemed to take care of it.
Just after noon we were able to come home. He was still pale, lethargic and puking - but we were home! He dozed on and off on the couch for about an hour before he came alive. And when I say he came alive, I mean he was alive, well, and hungry. From 2pm on the kid was awake and eating. He was on a soft foods diet only for the next 24hrs. I had prepared the kitchen with plenty of soft foods, so I had thought. The kid went thru just about everything I had in four short hours time. The kid just didn't stop eating. And, of course, as soon as he had food in his stomach he had energy.
The nurses had encouraged me to walk by his side the rest of the day, especially up and down stairs as he might be a little woozy. I did, for about the first 3 trips - then he was beating me up and down the stairs. I urged him to slow down, to be careful - as we didn't want him to bump his mouth. That's a laugh. At one point I came upstairs to find him standing on the kitchen counters.
When Dr. Ashley called later that evening to check on him, she couldn't believe he was back - back to running, jumping, laughing and eating! Kids are resilient, I tell ya!
No comments:
Post a Comment