Zane's Surgery

Friday I got up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready to take Zane for his final surgery relating to his broken elbow from this summer. I got ready and had some breakfast before I had to get him up, because I didn't want him to have a hard time with not being able to eat anything. After I was done, I got Zane up and we got into the car.

Zane was really good about getting his shoes and coat on and grabbing his blanket. There was a thin blanket of snow on the ground. That night there was a winter storm watch that said we could get hit with 3-5 inches of snow, so I was relieved to see how little snow there was.

We got to the hospital in plenty of time, checked in at registration, grabbed a coffee, went to the outpatient surgery waiting room, and within 5 minutes we were called back into the pre-surgery waiting rooms.

Zane was weighed and they asked all the questions about his health and whether he had medications, etc. Then they said that he needed to change into the hospital gown with the opening in the back. When the nurse left, I grabbed the gown and Zane said he didn't want to change into it. I had been talking to Zane about the upcoming surgery and since he had surgery only 4 months earlier, I knew that I couldn't get anything past him. I think he was getting really apprehensive about his surgery. I was talking to him about getting the gown on when another nurse came in. She talked to him about getting his gown on, and I told her that we were having cooperation issues. She said that if he helped her, that she would help him. She left and I was able to get him to change. He watched TV and she came in with a Treasure Box. He chose a book called, "If You Take a Mouse to School." But then he told me he wanted to read it when he got home, so I put it in the bag I brought for him. He went back to the TV.

Not long after that, we were brought into the OR waiting room. The anesthesiologist came in and talked to us. He told Zane that he was going to use a mask with a balloon on it. He said he would help him blow the balloon up and then he'd fall asleep. Zane asked the anesthesiologist if the balloon ever popped, and the anesthesiologist told him that it could happen, but he'd have to blow it really, really hard. Zane said maybe he would pop the balloon. Then his Dr. that was performing the surgery came in and told him that he was going to put his signature on his arm so they knew which arm they were supposed to do surgery on. He put his initials on and said to him, "That stands for "Everybody Loves Surgery". LOL!

Not long after that another nurse came in and asked how he did the last time he had to be separated from me for surgery. I said that he did fine, so she wheeled him away and directed me to where I could go back to the waiting area.

I sat down in the waiting area, started texting my family that Zane was in surgery and that I was just in the waiting area, and then I updated my facebook. I felt like I was being a little excessive in my facebook updates - most people that I don't talk to on a regular basis might have wondered why I posted so much, but I mostly did it to keep my family & friends updated that do get on facebook and that I talk to regularly. Easier to keep everyone updated all at once.

Anyway, after texting and updating facebook, I pulled out my bible study and started working on it. I was only about 20 minutes into it when they called me to go into the consult room. Zane's Dr. came in and handed me a baggie with Zane's screw that he removed. He told me that Zane's surgery went really well, and that he put one dissolvable stitch in there, but buried it, and it would just dissolve. He put a waterproof cover on his arm, and said that he wanted it to be kept clean and dry. He said that on Monday we could remove the top bandage and he could take a shower. Other than that, he doesn't get to participate in gym for the next three weeks, and he wants to see Zane again next Thursday or the following Tuesday.

I went back out into the waiting room and minutes later was taken back to the OR recovery room. Zane was waking up and he was freaking out a little bit about the IV. He said it was hurting him and he really wanted it to come out. The nurse was taking his stats and he was waking up much more easily than he did the first surgery he had. He was doing okay for a little bit, but he wanted some water because he felt like he had something in his throat. He did a little bit of spitting and then the nurse brought him a popcicle. He ate a little bit of it and it helped his throat, but he started crying because he said the IV was hurting him and he wanted it to come out. He also said his elbow hurt, and so the nurse put some drugs in his IV. He had to look at a pain chart and say what his pain level was. She wanted him to say what his pain was in his elbow and not his IV. I think that he might have been combining the two, but he finally got to where the pain level was down to a 2. He had eaten a good part of his popcicle and the nurse said he could move into the final recovery room.

We went there, and a nurse was there and they put Zane in a reclining chair. The last time they left him on the gurney and he slept for an hour. This time he was awake and much more aware of what was going on. He did have some kind of narcotic put into his IV and he was no longer complaining of pain from his elbow or his IV. While we were in the final recovery room, the nurse brought Zane another popcicle. She asked me if I would like anything, and I asked if she could bring me a Sierra Mist with some cranberry juice. She seemed a little unsure, and I added that she could just bring one of each and a cup and I will combine them myself. I told her that I would just share with Zane, so she asked if I'd like two cups. I said "Sure", and then I added, "If it wouldn't be too much," being the polite person I am. Zane looked up at me and quietly said, "Mommy, it won't be too much.... not for my tummy." LOL! What a cutie!

The nurse brought us our Sierra Mist and Cranberry Juice, I poured our drinks and gave some to Zane. (We even got bendy straws!). And then I went and got a bag of pretzel M&M's out of the vending machine, because it's just something special I do for him after surgery. The nurse took out Zane's IV while I was getting his treat.

I read a little bit while Zane played with his Halo Lego guy that he brought along. The Dr. came in to talk to us and give us discharge instructions, and it wasn't long before we were on our way. We were there at about 6:45 and we left by about 9:45. Three hours, in and out.

On our way home, we stopped off at McDonald's, because I told Zane that we would get him a Shamrock Shake after his surgery. Another little treat to help him feel a little better about the whole procedure. We got home a little after 10:30.

Of course, shortly after arriving home, Zane rushed to the bathroom and threw up. Poor thing. We weren't sure if he got motion sickness on the drive home (very likely, since he easily gets motion sickness on longer car trips) or if it was an effect of the anesthesia. He was given anti-nausea meds, so it's hard to say.

Ryan had a friend come over around 9:00 and so Zane spent the time from when he got home playing with Ryan and his friend. He hasn't skipped a beat since, and he has been eating like normal as well.

We go back in about a week for a follow up to check his incision, and he'll be out of gym for another 3 weeks, but other than that, he's good to go. What a lengthy ordeal. So glad that it is almost over though.