The day of the surgery we arrived at the hospital at 6am. After about 45 minutes of waiting, we were led upstairs to the pediatric surgical floor. Caleb got some "hospital pajamas" as we waited. The anesthesiologist gave him some liquid medicine that made him so relaxed and a bit loopy. It was fairly humorous, he would laugh for no reason, then just lie there staring with eyelids at half-mast. This was to ensure easy insertion of the IV for general anethesia and breathing tube, as well as a block of his lower limbs which was intended to last 18-24 hours. At about 7:45 they carried him off to surgery. The rest of us (Bryan, Micah, Janet, and I) went off to find breakfast (we'd been up for over three hours already).
Just after 10:30am, we were called to the recovery room, and there he was with his big cast and looking pale. A nurse was holding him and he was crying, but it seemed like he was still out of it. Bryan held him in a chair for the next couple of hours, and he was asleep most of the time. After the anesthetic wore off, he complained about pain. Apparently the block medication wore off very quickly for him, so he was given another medication for the pain. That put him right to sleep for a while. Otherwise, he would hardly speak, and when he did his voice was hoarse and sad.
Pastor Harvey and Diana came to visit him at this time, but he was so out of it, he didn't remember later. He did enjoy the stuffed stegosaurus they left for him, and he said it was a buddy for his stuffed monkey (named Monkey). That was probably the most words he spoke that day since after the surgery.
The hospital staff was having difficulty finding him a room, so what should have been a couple hours in the recovery room was actually more like six hours. When he was finally taken to a room (shared) it was small and crowded, but not as much as the recovery room, and we all had a place to sit. Every so often, he would still complain and cry about pain, asking between tears if he could go home, saying that he wanted the cast off, and promising to be a good boy. It was truly heart breaking. Of course he knew beforehand that this was to "fix my bones" but in the face of intense pain and discomfort, all that was forgotten. We told the nurse what was going on, so she secured an order for Tylenol with Codeine in addition to the Motrin he was being given every six hours. It seems as though that was the ticket, and he only complained about pain about 15 minutes before his next dose was due. Not surprisingly, he had no appetite most of the day but eventually ate a little bit. He fell asleep for the night around 7:30 and Janet and I went back to the hotel with Micah. Bryan stayed with Caleb in the room overnight.
In the morning when I called Bryan to let him know we were going back to the hospital, Caleb sounded much better. He actually talked to me on the phone. I suggested getting him some berries, and he requested blueberries. When we arrived with the promised berries, a balloon, and a card, he asked if it was his birthday. The pain seemed controlled and he was much more animated than the day before.
By noon, Bryan loaded him into the wagon the unit has for such occasions, since his cast doesn't allow him to sit. We wheeled him down to the car and I helped Bryan load him in lying down across the back seat and secure him with a special harness, also for this purpose. According to Bryan he slept most of the way home, then Bryan settled him down onto the couch with his many pillows to support him all around. He watched a lot of Thomas & Friends and Blues Clues, much more than he's ever allowed. He hate a decent dinner, which made his mom happy. At bedtime Bryan was able to hold him for a while and put him to bed.
At 4am I went in to change his diaper, check his temperature, and give him some medicine. Regular diaper changes are vital, because the diaper is only tucked in at the front and we don't want the cast getting wet or dirty. Luckily, the diaper did its job. :) He hardly woke up and went right back to sleep. Later, at 7am, he was still dry and his temperature was good, and he did not complain of any pain. I planned on going back to bed, but he said he was ready to get up. He asked to go to the couch, and I suggested we let Daddy carry him since he's heavier now with the cast. He said to me, "You can do it, Mom. You can do it!" Well, with that encouragement I did, and he exclaimed, "You did it, Mom! I knew you could do it." At this point I knew he was definitely feeling better.
So, he's been perched on the couch since then. His special wheel chair was supposed to arrive yesterday, but it hasn't yet. If it doesn't arrive by this afternoon, we'll be making some phone calls. He has only complained of pain once, and seems to be in a much better mood than even yesterday. He doesn't want to talk on the phone, but if anybody would like to send him a card, he does enjoy those.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for him. God has heard each one and is guarding him closely.
Just after 10:30am, we were called to the recovery room, and there he was with his big cast and looking pale. A nurse was holding him and he was crying, but it seemed like he was still out of it. Bryan held him in a chair for the next couple of hours, and he was asleep most of the time. After the anesthetic wore off, he complained about pain. Apparently the block medication wore off very quickly for him, so he was given another medication for the pain. That put him right to sleep for a while. Otherwise, he would hardly speak, and when he did his voice was hoarse and sad.
Pastor Harvey and Diana came to visit him at this time, but he was so out of it, he didn't remember later. He did enjoy the stuffed stegosaurus they left for him, and he said it was a buddy for his stuffed monkey (named Monkey). That was probably the most words he spoke that day since after the surgery.
The hospital staff was having difficulty finding him a room, so what should have been a couple hours in the recovery room was actually more like six hours. When he was finally taken to a room (shared) it was small and crowded, but not as much as the recovery room, and we all had a place to sit. Every so often, he would still complain and cry about pain, asking between tears if he could go home, saying that he wanted the cast off, and promising to be a good boy. It was truly heart breaking. Of course he knew beforehand that this was to "fix my bones" but in the face of intense pain and discomfort, all that was forgotten. We told the nurse what was going on, so she secured an order for Tylenol with Codeine in addition to the Motrin he was being given every six hours. It seems as though that was the ticket, and he only complained about pain about 15 minutes before his next dose was due. Not surprisingly, he had no appetite most of the day but eventually ate a little bit. He fell asleep for the night around 7:30 and Janet and I went back to the hotel with Micah. Bryan stayed with Caleb in the room overnight.
In the morning when I called Bryan to let him know we were going back to the hospital, Caleb sounded much better. He actually talked to me on the phone. I suggested getting him some berries, and he requested blueberries. When we arrived with the promised berries, a balloon, and a card, he asked if it was his birthday. The pain seemed controlled and he was much more animated than the day before.
By noon, Bryan loaded him into the wagon the unit has for such occasions, since his cast doesn't allow him to sit. We wheeled him down to the car and I helped Bryan load him in lying down across the back seat and secure him with a special harness, also for this purpose. According to Bryan he slept most of the way home, then Bryan settled him down onto the couch with his many pillows to support him all around. He watched a lot of Thomas & Friends and Blues Clues, much more than he's ever allowed. He hate a decent dinner, which made his mom happy. At bedtime Bryan was able to hold him for a while and put him to bed.
At 4am I went in to change his diaper, check his temperature, and give him some medicine. Regular diaper changes are vital, because the diaper is only tucked in at the front and we don't want the cast getting wet or dirty. Luckily, the diaper did its job. :) He hardly woke up and went right back to sleep. Later, at 7am, he was still dry and his temperature was good, and he did not complain of any pain. I planned on going back to bed, but he said he was ready to get up. He asked to go to the couch, and I suggested we let Daddy carry him since he's heavier now with the cast. He said to me, "You can do it, Mom. You can do it!" Well, with that encouragement I did, and he exclaimed, "You did it, Mom! I knew you could do it." At this point I knew he was definitely feeling better.
So, he's been perched on the couch since then. His special wheel chair was supposed to arrive yesterday, but it hasn't yet. If it doesn't arrive by this afternoon, we'll be making some phone calls. He has only complained of pain once, and seems to be in a much better mood than even yesterday. He doesn't want to talk on the phone, but if anybody would like to send him a card, he does enjoy those.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for him. God has heard each one and is guarding him closely.
Categories: a day in the life
0 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
