It's Time - Hospital Stay #1

January 18th, 2011

Dear Little Angel,

Today was the day of your first surgery.  We met with your doctor before the surgery to walk through what to expect as the day progressed.  We were reassured that all would go well and this surgery was all for the better.  I am often told by friends that at least you are young enough to not remember this journey; however they don't realize that it will be a part of my memories for the rest of my life.  Before the surgery was to take place they gave medicine to calm you and make the surgery less stressful.  The medicine they gave you is dubbed, "Happy Juice".  After twenty minutes I could see why.  You began to smile and laugh.  our little angel thought everything she saw was a phone.  You started to have conversation with everyone you could think of on your make-belief phone. 

The nurse came in when you finally lost your coordination and could not do anything but lay there and smile.  We kissed you good bye and put your little life in the hands of strangers.  From this point on time slowed and almost stopped.  Every time my phone rang we answered to receive updates from the doctor of the surgery's progress.  Your mother and I paced the floors of the silent hospital play area, looking forward to the great news we were hoping for.


Finally after five hours the call came.  The surgery had gone perfect and you were in recovery waking up.  It would be another hour and a half before we would see you.  When they rolled you out they told us how great you had been.  All the nurse had to do was ask you not to touch your hoses and you would let them go and sweetly say, "o...K..".  When you saw mom for the first time you began to cry and called to her, "hold me mommy, hold me."  I saw tears form in your mothers eyes as my heart broke as we tried to explain that we couldn't hold you....not for awhile.  The first night while I was there you were very upset.  You wanted so badly to go into the play room and play with all the toys you could see from your window.  You would break into tears and tell us, " I want out" pushing on the top of the cast.  As we explained to you that you couldn't get out you would break into tears that are reserved for when a little heart is broken. 


During the next two days we would have to hold your hands down while trying to explain to you that the hoses had to stay on your face.  The oxygen tube was the worse.  Countless times you would grab the hoses and try to tear them from your face.  The only thing that would distract you was your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Whenever Mickey was on, you always smiled and became the sweet distracted girl we knew.
Starting early in the morning and continuing through the day, nurses would come in to check on your vitals.  By the second day you learned the routine. When someone would come in you would pull your blankie over your face so no one could see you.  Out came your little arm for the pressure cuff.  By the last day you even got to when a nurse would come in you would tell them they hadn't taken your pressure by holding out your arm, and instructing the nurse, "arm now?."


Each night your mother stayed with you by your side, sleeping in the chair next to your crib.  While you stayed in the room with your mother each night I made the long drive home down darken roads.  These roads I had never traveled before are now all to familiar.


On Thursday, we had your brother and sister come to visit.  It was Alaysha's birthday, but no party for her.  We got a large wagon and had nurses come and help move you from your crib to the wagon.  What a chore.  Moving the oxygen, IV's and monitor took forever.  Once out of your room you wanted to see everything.  We took turns pulling you around the hospital.  Your favorite site was the big statues of Sully and Mike from Monster Inc.  Both Grandmas and Grandpas came to visit you with your brother and sister.

Your last day at the hospital they removed all your hoses.  I instantly saw your face brighten.  You were so happy to be free and be able to finally be held.  The last day we prepared for your CT scan.  We loaded you on a bus and drove with you to Primary Children's Hospital.  Here we waited watching the fish in the tank.  To keep you entertained, we had you identify which fishes were: mommy fish, daddy fish, baby fish, and even grandma and grandpa fish.  Grandma and Grandpa fish had to be grey....