Thursday, I got a phone call with pre-op instructions. Basically, your child is a gremlin: no food or liquids (beyond clear liquids) after midnight. We were instructed to give her a bath and wash her hair and dress her in clean pajamas. The woman also mentioned that we were scheduled to stay Monday night, which really threw me for a loop. After calling the doctor's office, we were told we weren't supposed to stay, but we went ahead and made some back up plans just in case.
We'd made arrangements with Mom and Bob to come stay with the boys and Rebekah while we were gone. They got here about 3 on Sunday afternoon and we passed on some information, kissed the kids goodbye, and were on the road by about 345 or so. It was an uneventful drive, with Eden sleeping most of it, and we got to the hotel about 630. Beth and Allen met us there and we had dinner at the hotel, then around 730, I took Eden upstairs for her bath. She splashed around happily, then let me wash her hair and wash her body with Hibicleanse. Afterwards, she sat with me on the bed so I could comb out her hair and braid it. She was extremely pleased with her braids and kept checking herself out in the mirror.
We tried to go to bed early, but after such a long nap in the car, Eden wasn't tired. She finally dropped off sometime around 10 and Austin wasn't too far behind her (he may have been ahead of her. She insisted he sleep in her bed so I don't know). I couldn't sleep, so I was awake until nearly midnight reading, then woke up at 120am when Eden loudly slurped down the milk in her cup we'd forgotten to take away. I know the time because I looked so I could tell the staff at the hospital.
She woke up thirsty again about 345. I couldn't get back to sleep, especially since it wouldn't have been for very long, so I just got up and got dressed. We were checked out of the hotel, parked, checked in at the hospital, and at the admitting area of the hospital by 5am, 30 minutes earlier than necessary. So we sat and watched the early morning news anchors banter about coffee and music.
We got up to the surgery area about 545 and about 6 they took us back to the pre-op area. Eden was distracted by tv while nurses, anesthesiologists, doctors, and surgeons all came in to talk to us and ask questions. They tried to give her some pre-op medications to preemptively help with pain and to help her relax but it didn't taste good so she spit it out all over the bed.
Just after 7, they wheeled her out and we went looking for breakfast. We found that the cafeteria didn't have much, but they did have a guy making omelets. Which we both enjoyed.
We ate our breakfast in the family room area of the surgical waiting area and kept tabs on Eden by the monitors on the walls. We had a little buzzer like a restaurant gives you, but we kept getting ones that didn't work so they'd have to call me on my phone. It seemed to take forever to update from Pre-Op to OR, but then only read OR for about 5 minutes before we got a call she was out. We waited a couple more minutes then went to a small consultation room where the surgeon came in and told us everything went great and she was already waking up.
By 845, we were waiting for her in the PACU. It took a little while for her to show up, so the nurse gave us the post-op instructions. She also warned us that Eden would be grumpy (and boy was she right...lol) and some sore but that she'd be back to normal in about 24 hours.
I could hear Eden's angry screaming from wherever she was for several minutes before she actually showed up. Her eyelid was swollen and wouldn't close at all, so she was literally sleeping with one eye open. She was in and out of sleep for a while and when she was first brought in, she cried that she wanted Mommy and calmed down significantly when I put my hands on her and told her I was there. She had her good eye closed so I don't think she saw me, but she heard me. They kept trying to get her to drink apple juice but that made her mad, so they got her some milk, but Austin had taken all our stuff to the car while we waited so we didn't have HER cup, which resulted in more crying. So he went all the way back to get it. She fell asleep after drinking a couple ounces.
She was really drowsy and groggy but about 1015, they gave us the go ahead to go home, if we felt comfortable with it. We did.
So, Austin carried this nearly 40 pound little girl who was basically limp all the way back to the car and got her buckled in and we headed home.
She slept most of the way home, wearing her sunglasses to protect her eyes since the one still doesn't close great. She cried a lot yesterday because she didn't know what she wanted but we weren't offering it to her. She ate a plate and a half of mac and cheese before curling up in our bed and alternately napping and watching tv the rest of the afternoon. She ate some Chik-fil-A (yeah, no way was I cooking yesterday) for dinner and after that, seemed back to her normal self, demanding that Austin read her stories and play with her.
We have to put ointment on her eyelid 4 times a day (and she hates it) and she can take Tylenol and Motrin as needed for pain. She doesn't like those either and usually spits them out, so we quit on that. She doesn't seem to be in much pain this morning, though she is more subdued than usual. She's a little clingy but not too bad. Rebekah, though, is as much in my business as she can be. You would think I'd left her for several days, not 22 hours.
Eden has a follow up on Monday, the 17th, and again in January for wound care. Luckily, we can see the local ophthalmologist for those and save me driving to Dallas and back two more times.
A fun fact that blindsided us at the hospital yesterday was the casual mention that she'll have to have this redone ANNUALLY for a while. And then periodically after that. It makes sense, they put in a small cable in a triangle pattern to help her eyelid lift and lower and it's not going to grow with her, but we just hadn't thought about that and no one had actually told us. So we get to go through all this mess every year for a while. I'm super excited about the next time. (meaning...not at all excited) At least I'll know what to expect and that'll make it easier to prepare for, but she'll also know what's coming. We had talked about getting her eye fixed but were careful not to say "cut" and accidentally said it yesterday morning at the hospital and she got a little freaked out.
She still needs to wear an eye patch on her good eye to help the bad one strengthen, but that won't be a life long thing. I'm going to give her a few days to recover then we'll work on patching a couple hours a day. It seems a little silly since her last exam indicated they were almost the same, but whatever. Doctor's orders.
I am worn out from all this. I spent last week running around getting Christmas as done as I could so that this week can be quiet and low key and all about Eden. I'm doing some trial baking today for Asher's contribution to his school's international potluck and bottling up the homemade vanilla I periodically give as gifts, along with a few other regular chores. I need to go put the ointment on her but it's so quiet and relaxed I hate to ruin that.
Ready to go to the hospital
In the elevator. Sometimes she looks so grown up to me.
Walking in carrying her Wonder Woman shield blanket
Showing me her hospital bracelet, which she later removed.
Curled up in admitting waiting to go upstairs
Our first buzzer that didn't work
Getting her stats checked.
Watching tv while we waited for more medical people
She got bored so was climbing all over her crib
Grinning at me between the bars
She insisted this was how she take the picture
Being wheeled out
Sign in the bathroom in the cafeteria. I have some questions. I feel like there's a story here.
She was 120, this shows still pre-op
In OR
In PACU
No 13th bed. We were bed 22
After surgery. She's asleep and her mouth is red from some medicine they gave her that she spit out.
Austin carrying her to the car
Trying to sleep in the car but the sun was bright
Sunglasses helped her sleep better. The hospital gave her that little teddy bear. We kept telling her not to touch her eye so at one point she pressed his foot against her eye. I chided her again and she said "I didn't touch my eye, my bear touched my eye." I couldn't argue too much.
She spent from about 1pm until around 8ish on our bed with us. Then got up, ate some dinner, and got back to bossing everyone around.
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