Friday, February 8, 2008

It's Over

Here we are waiting for the pre-op meds to kick in. A little valium goes a long way.

Here is Kid loaded up in the Red Wagon with all her comfort things waiting to get wheeled back to the OR (never mind that she had stopped sleeping with Pig and sucking on Pacie they came back for this mission!)

Here is Kid sleeping it off in Recovery Phase 2.

So it is over... and really... that is all that matters. Our surgeon actually remembered that she was scheduled for surgery today (YES she forgot last time and we had to wait an additional 2.5 hours!!!). She also went ahead and did the *next* procedure instead of repeating the failed one from last time. This is a HUGE relief since had it been repeated we would most certainly be looking at a third surgery in another 6 months. Being the detail oriented mommy that I am I was able to request the same Anethesiologist that we had last time (loved him and she did much better than with her previous procedure) and EVEN better they pumped her with anti-nausea drugs and this time she did not come out feeling sick to her stomach.... or puking all over us and the car! Her eyes are hurting her today and are RED but last time she was literally crying blood and her eyes looked like something out of a horror film... truly and heartbreakingly hard to look at. She has taken to the basement couch where she will get her fill of unlimited TV for the next few days. She just told me to leave her alone (sniff sniff) since I am the medicine dispenser and she wants none of it. I wish there was some way to get her to understand that it makes the pain go away but she doesn't want to hear it.
I'm off to go think of some kind of MAJOR bribe (she even turned down an American Girl Doll... this is serious stuff folks!... oh and don't worry it was for completing the full cycle of medicine not just 4 Tylenol tablets!). Scratch that I did just give her an American Girl Doll for taking 4 Tylenol (with the promise to take it again in 6 hours). Don't judge me people! It is my old one I've been saving (yes they made them when we were kids... okay I was a little old to be getting a doll that Christmas... whatever) so really it is free.... now that is the benefit of being a pack rat!

33 comments:

Robin said...

I am so relieved for you. That picture of Kid and Mr. F brought tears to my eyes. Very sweet. He is a good man. I have friends whose husbands can't deal with that kind of stuff and leave it to the moms. I am fortunate that my hubby is also very supportive and involved.

I hope you are able to bribe Kid to take her meds. It is hard when they don't understand that it makes it better.

We'll be thinking of you for the next few days and hoping for a speedy and easy recovery.

Anonymous said...

Glad to be hearing good news! The pictures posted were adorable, Kid looks SO different without her glasses on(i dont think i've ever seen her without them on!) Good luck with the bribes, hope they're working!

Mrs Furious said...

Thanks Robin!

Thankfully Mr F was there and taking charge in the snuggle department. I was really torn having Baby at home and worrying about her that whole time. I did go back and nurse her but she had never been left for that long. She did great too!

Amy said...

I would do it all too...unlimited tv, bribery, whatever it takes after having your little one having to endure surgery. Nothing would be beneath me!

Hope you are hanging in there; there's some relief in your voice (or type). Is mom there helping (or rather hindering) out yet?

Kiki said...

Mrs. F, I am so glad that Kid went through as well as can be expected, and those pics are so tender and sweet.

As for bribing, you do what works, no one will judge you, we want what is best for you and Kid and if bribing works....then it works! I had pneumonia when I was in high school and my mom had to pound on my back, I understood it was good for me and would help me...but do you think I let her do it after the first time....heck no! Maybe she needed a better plan...

We will be thinking of you and your family for a smooth, uneventful recovery. Stay strong!

Unknown said...

aww I am so glad your daughter is doing so well! Good luck getting her take meds!

Julie said...

What a relief! I am so happy you all are home. Take it easy.

I just ate 3 Newman O's in Kid's honor.

Good for you, too, Baby, that you were strong and brave like your big sister!

Mrs Furious said...

Linds,
"Kid looks SO different without her glasses on"
I know! I was just thinking about that last night. She actually prefers wearing them (thankfully) so it is a rare sight.
She is loving the doll right now!


Amy,
Why do I think you might know how to wash a doll's hair? (probably the Michael's connection) It is obviously a 20+ year old doll and it could be a bit fresher.


Kiki,
If I was your mom you'd probably been walking out of that deal with a car! ;)


Cara,
thank you :)


Julie,
thanks.
At a certain point yesterday I wasn't sure who I was more worried about (obviously Kid.. but you know what I mean). It was really stressful having no control over either kid!

emmyjw said...

I am so glad it went so smoothly and the pics are precious. Ella won't take liquid prednisone for any bribe.I tasted it to see why she was so resistant,it tastes like gasoline ewww.I think bribibng is OK sometimes,hey give a mom a break ;) A free American girl doll is a huge bargain anyways...believe me I know...

justme said...

glad it is over for you, and hope the healing part gets a little better each day.
the part you wrote about from last time (crying blood) oh my lord, just hearing it makes my stomach turn. you must have been sooo strong.

when and if you feel up to it, i was curious what is wrong with her eyes that she needs surgery ?

Amy said...

Ask me anything you want about cakes. I know zip about dolls!

I did find this for you

katieo said...

So glad it's OVER and went so well. (I have a feeling she'll really like those pictures when she's older!)

and the bribes. HA! Our big one over here is Chuck E. Cheese. At one point during a toilet training episode, we actually went every single night for a week.

Surgery and non-medicine taking? I'd probably go out and buy a gameboy or Wii or something, lol!

Robin said...

In the first photo, you mention Valium and how well it works. Was that for you or for Kid? You look very relaxed! :)

Mrs Furious said...

Robin,
LOL... no that look would be boredom ;) Our surgery was bumped back a good hour so there was a lot of sitting and watching cartoons.



Emmy,
I was hoping to hold off on the doll but desperate times call for desperate measures!



Feener,
what isn't wrong with Kid's eyes?!?
She's got quite a few problems actually. The surgery was for strabismus (the turning or drifting of eyes... her's drift out). Some people think of this as "lazy eye" but it is not a lazy eye is one that doesn't have vision anymore which can be the result of untreated strabismus.
She also has a cataract and one eye is near sighted and the other is far sighted. That (vision differential) is actually the cause of her strabismus since her brain would rather just use the eye that is stronger for what she is looking at and she shuts off the other one and then it drifts.
Essentially the muscle on the outside of her eyes are VERY strong and want to pull the eye out. The last surgery was to "loosen" that muscle by moving it further back on her eye so the pull would be less intense. But that didn't take. This operation was actually pulling her eyes in (to make them cross eyed) from the inner corner of her eye... her strong pull out should leave them ultimately centered. The theory is that if the eyes are held straight the brain will use both eyes since it doesn't have to work as hard holding them there. BUT some people will still pull out if that is their will (seems it might be Kid's).

Mrs Furious said...

Amy,
thanks!
Of course the American girls site isn't much help... they want you to send it to their hospital! Which I thought of doing since that might be cute they send it back in a hospital gown and everything but when I undressed mine to clean it I discovered it is a knock-off (gasp!!... although German so possibly a better doll anyhow) so they won't accept it anyway :(


Katieo,
we also have to put these stinging drops in 4x a day. Last time it was a hideous cream (try to imagine putting cream in... ridiculous) and I ended buying her a gift for EACH application... for 10 days!! That added up so this time I figured if I could get her to hold out and do them all she could earn a BIG gift... alas I sold out on the 2nd day!

Heather said...

SO, so glad everything went well.

Andrea said...

So Happy to hera kid is doing well, she looks like a different child without her glasses and just curious how long did she take her Pacie because my family gives me the evil eye whenever they see my 18 month old with hers.Should i take it away or let her keep it and work on it when shes two.

megO said...

i was raised by bribery. there's nothing wrong with it. in fact, i'm currently rewarding myself with m&m's to get through this semester. perfectly normal.

i'm glad it's over & i'm crossing my fingers!!! hang in there.

XO,
m

Anonymous said...

Tell Kid that I love her and hope she feels better soon!

Preppy Mama said...

So glad for you that the surgery is over. I'm looking at the pictures of Kid and she has the most amazing blue eyes. I hope she will have a speedy recovery. You are one strong mama she is so lucky to have you and Mr. F.

Mrs Furious said...

Heather,
thank you.
So funny that Mr F watched your birth announcement before I did. Turns out he reads Team Hansen... who knew?




Andrea,
we never took it away. She stopped being allowed to take it out in public at around 2 but I let her sleep with it as long as she wanted. She actually only recently gave it up at night after the dentist told her she'd need to start thinking about it before her big teeth came in (it is fine until they lose them). I figured if she takes comfort in it who cares? You never see a big kid walking down the street with one... and many kids still suck their thumbs when they are older and you can't take that away. Even when she was older she'd suck it when she was falling asleep but not in the night. So I say don't worry too much.

Mrs Furious said...

Meg,
thanks :)



Preppy Mama,
thank you. Her eyes are very pretty (if I do say so myself)... not a color of blue I've ever seen before. They get noticed a lot more w/o her glasses.

Mrs Furious said...

Jasmine,
of course I will.
have fun at the Knotty Pine Jewel!

Anonymous said...

Whew! I'm so glad it's over for you! And don't worry about the bribes -- they're the mainstay of motherhood!

I really like the picture of you and Kid. You look like you're about 15, and Kid is so beautiful. Hope you can get some rest now!

Mrs Furious said...

Mary,
thank you.

While we were there we saw a young couple waiting for their baby to go into surgery. I was telling Mr F about them and then laughed because I realized they probably thought I was just as young!

michelline said...

I was very happy to hear that this surgery went so well. The last one sounded like such a nightmare for all of you.

When my brother was young (1st or 2nd grade maybe?), he had a problem with one eye and for a while he wore a patch to strengthen his weaker eye. It didn't work as my parents couldn't get him to leave it on. I've heard they now have drops that obscure the vison in the stronger eye which kind of works the same way as a patch, but the kid can't take the drops out, of course. Anyway, it turned out ok even without the patch, he just wears glasses now. Here's hoping that kid's eye gets with the program and the surgeries are over.

We weren't concerned about pacifiers either. We figured it's a lot better than the thumb. We did make them a bedtime only thing after a while and after three, we did pull them altogether.

Mrs Furious said...

Chris,
yes, overall this one was better no blood is definitely a good thing. She's having a bit of a rough night and running a fever which is slightly worrisome but I'm hoping by tomorrow she'll be feeling significantly better. The first day is always better then the next two when the pain sets in :(

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad that all went well with Kid's surgery!! My oldest had to have surgery at 7 months and I remember that moment as you are leaving the room, watching your child be put "under". I don't remember what kind of TP was in that bathroom, but it probably was crappy just like yours! :)
Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. Home and safe.

Mrs Furious said...

Workout Mommy,
thanks :)
ugh... yes watching them go under is the WORST thing in the world. I am so glad we are done with that!
Last night was a bit hard but she is definitely doing better this morning... she's even laughing :)

Amy said...

hey, sorry I've not been on for a few days but know that I thought of you often on Thursday and Friday. I'm so glad things went well and now that they're over, your family can get back to a semblance of normalcy. I hope you're through with surgeries for a long time!

Mrs Furious said...

Amy,
oh thanks.
Yes I'm actually quite happy to report that she is MUCH better today and hasn't needed any pain reliever.

kenady said...

So glad all went well with Kid's surgery:) While I haven't been able to post or comment often, you and yours have been in my thoughts.

Mrs Furious said...

Kenady,
Oh thanks. She is doing much better today :)

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