Our suspicious were confirmed and within a couple of weeks Kailie was headed for surgery. The doctors and nurses did an excellent job of preparing all of us for her surgery. Kailie got to meet everyone who would be involved and Mum & Dad got to ask their gazillion questions. However, I don’t think there could ever really be enough that a parent could do to prepare to see their little baby be put under anesthetic.
On the day of her surgery we were lucky enough to be first on the list for that day (the babes get to go first because they have to fast) so we were at the hospital by 6:30am and Kailie took everything in great stride! We had done a lot of talking and reading of what was going to happen to her that day, what she would see and do, and it really seemed to help. She knew the doctor was going to 'fix her nose' and that she would have to breath in a mask and she was most excited about getting her bracelet:) After a bit of a wait Mummy and Kailie got all gowned up and headed for the OR. I was extremely nervous about my ability to hold it together for Kailie and just seeing her be put under but in retrospect it all went fairly well. She had no issues with the mask (there was a balloon on it that she was really focused on) so there was no struggling or tears - not of Kailie’s anyway ;-)
After she was asleep they sent me off to wait. Joel and I barely had time for a quick snack and by the time we got back the nurse was already looking for us because Kailie was awake – we weren’t even gone for a full ½ hr! We had been warned that she would most likely be very upset and confused when she woke up but our little super star was just a cool and calm as could be. When we went into the recovery room there were about 5 nurses all crowded around her and they all just loved her! They couldn’t believe how polite and calm she was and as a result Kailie became the proud owner of TWO bravery certificates!!
We then headed off to the children’s ward where Kailie and I spent most of the day – before much resting happened Kailie tried to eat anything she could get her little hands on, she was SO hungry once she really woke up! The nurses finally had to tell her to slow down because they didn’t want her getting sick! We spent most of the day just getting some rest and checking out the playroom a bit. The highlight of Kailie’s stay for her was the very large crib she was in – she loved it when either I or one of the nurses would put the sides up. We were anticipating possibly staying overnight or staying until the doctor came back around 8pm at the very earliest but we got lucky that it was a bit busy that day so around 5pm they decided Kailie was doing great so they discharged us.
We were very happy to come home and get her settled back into her own cozy bed - Mummy was especially happy about this as the “Mummy Bed” in the hospital was not meant for 7 month pregnant Mummies!
We are so relieved to have the surgery behind us and so far we're fairly pleased with the initial results. When I went to check on Kailie after she was sleeping on the night after her surgery, I actually had to crawl right into bed with her to hear her breathing - usually I could hear her as soon as I opened the door, over both her fan and music! Her runny nose did seem to stop for a few days however is also making a recent comeback, but we are hoping this is still part of the healing process.
If you saw our little princess the day after her surgery you would have never even known that she had been to the hospital, except for all of her exciting stories and the hospital bracelet that we couldn’t get her to take off for a couple of days:) She never ceases to amaze me with her resiliency, bravery and calm nature – she really inspires me to be more of all that!
All our friends and family were so supportive to us that day and we thank you so much for that. Now she can just get back to the business of being a sweet little (healthy) kid ;-)
Early wake up and arrival at the hospital - but with all the fun stuff there to look at she was all smiles!
Mummy & Daddy really had to keep on their happy face for Kailie that day - not the easiest thing to do when we were SO nervous.
A little groggy for a while after surgery but still as sweet as ever. She got pretty spoiled that day with ice cream and pudding - both of which she now asks for at home of course!
