Thomas is doing Great!

This is my very long account of what happened the day of Thomas' Surgery!

The super duper short version is: Thomas is Doing Great!

Now the long version: (Includes pictures....)

I was delighted to find that we were NOT in the same sedation suite that Thomas has had his last 2 scary IVs done. (And where he would no doubt have started panicking had he seen the place!)

Instead, we were sent upstairs to the 8th floor where Grace had her tubes put in when she was 1 year old. In fact, I think Thomas was possibly the oldest child there, although there was a little girl about 3 years older, who may or may not have been an older sister...

Needless to say, he was treated like a little baby doll and the place was decorated so cute and little stars and moons, even the stools in our room were in the shape of stars! Plus, the entire floor was way way over decorated with Halloween decorations. It was really cute.

We waited in a waiting room that looked like a hang out for kids right out of Key West Florida. Complete with Parrots on every wall and 3D Parrots on every column and desk. They even had Disney Channel playing on a TV, and several kid-sized tables and chairs, one of which had a baby about Ian's age precariously balanced on a chair. Thomas couldn't resist running over and waving at him! He tried to wave back and kind of wobbled.

When they called his name, Thomas actually ran right up to the nurse and past her down the hall! He was so excited by the place. I soooo appreciated the effort they put into making it kid-friendly. Plus, when we entered the actual "hospital-wing" part, then you never saw such Halloween decorations! There wasn't time to think "Uh Oh, this is a doctor's office!" because there were spiders, pumpkins, skeletons, witches...you name it and I mean EVERYWHERE! Anywhere else it would have been gaudy, but it worked wonders on these kids.

They took his weight and height, then led us to our room. Before we had time to get settled, though, a man showed up, nicely dressed, and carrying a moving SKUNK! (it was a puppet it turns out) He introduced the Skunk as "Stinky" and it waved at Thomas. He came over and insisted on being petted and wiggled all around while Thomas petted him. The man told us his name and that he was the Chaplain. I couldn't help but grin at the Pastor and the Skunk. He couldn't stay and chat because he was off across the hall to a frightened looking 2-yr-old boy who was enchanted by the moving animal! Thomas watched this entire exchange too.

Eventually, they came and gave the boy across from us a drink and some juice, and he quickly got Ve-rr-yy sleepy and silly. Thomas watched all of this carefully and laughed along with the adults.

He was also aware of a baby that came back crying from probably getting tubes in his ears down the hall. I explained that when babies wake up from the sleepy medicine they are very confused and they cry. He was in a room on the same side of the hall as us but 2 doors down.

The groggy 2-yr-old across from us noticed this too, and was starring with wide open eyes and mouth and pointed an amazed finger at the baby. Thomas watched all this curiously. I told him the little boy couldn't figure out why the baby was crying like that. Then the boy started incoherently crying on and off. Thomas and I talked about how he wasn't sure if everything was ok, and he thought maybe he should cry too. About that time, he quieted down again. Thomas giggled at all this.

We had told him that after the little boy got really sleepy they'd put his hospital gown on him, because for some reason little kids don't like taking off their PJs. About this point, they started dressing the little one. Thomas apparently decided to prove he was a big kid and announced that he wanted to change clothes right now! So, Sam and I helped him into his gown, stashing his clothes in the plastic bag provided.

He climbed right up on the table and started playing with his Iron Man toys.

When the Anesthesiologist came in, we were very clear that Thomas had been through a very rough introduction to his first IV. He was very sorry that it had happened that way, and assured us that it would not be that way this time. He told us they'd give him something to drink first, which would make him really sleepy. "Goofy Juice" is what he called it. Then after he was really sleepy, they'd take him in the back and give him some gas, and if the doctor felt he needed the IV, they'd put it in once he was asleep, and take it out before they woke him up.

This picture was taken just after he drank his Goofy Juice, followed by Apple Juice mixed with Sprite, because he wouldn't pick one! Which he informed the doctor was a "golfer's delight".

I think he looks a little goofy here, don't you?

They took him back at 8:13am, and the doctor came in at 8:30am to say it was all over! He said that everything went fine. They didn't find anything unusual when they did the endoscopy of his sinuses, which is great news, and that they cauterized several blood vessels on both sides of his nose. Hopefully, that will stop the nosebleeds!

After about another 30-40 minutes, they brought him back from recovery, still pretty sleepy.

The nurse brought in some Red Icee, and asked me to try to get him to eat some. I gave him about 3 bites, thinking that he didn't seem to feel well, and then he lost it. The nurse was there luckily, and helped me help him. He was sick over the next hour about 3 times. Sleeping some in between. Finally, they gave him half of a Zofran that dissolves in your mouth. The result was great.

This picture is 8-10 minutes later...

We went home after this was taken, arriving home at 10:30, and slept until 1:30pm.

Although, I have to say, it was pretty funny. I got up to his room, and he was sitting up on a bean bag chair trying to pick out which book to read or which toys to play. I had to talk him into getting in the bed! He said, "I've been asleep all morning!" I told him, "Mommy is sooo sleepy, come lay down with me, bring a toy, you don't have to sleep." So, he did, and fell asleep right away!

Then about 1:30, Thomas and I woke up hungry! We had some Chicken Ramen Noodle soup, and watched Blues Clues, then He-Man.

We then spent the remainder of the day playing LEGOS Star Wars and then LEGOS Batman. Those games are addictive. We were still playing when Sam got home from work! I handed him Thomas' controller and he played for awhile too!

Then Thomas and I went over to Mom's where Gracie had been since 5:45am, and she was very glad to see us! We had Chicken Noodle Soup (sounds familiar) and some crackers, and got to see Aunt Sarah, Tyler, Ian, and Uncle Bill, plus Mimi, Gannie, and Grandaddy!

All things considered, it was really a pretty great day! And here...I was actually worried!

You know, God is good All the Time!

MJ