Day 1 - Second Surgery

Dear Tattered Angel,

I find myself at the conclusion of a very long lonely quiet day with the majority of it spent setting in the silence of our hospital room with the absence of our little angel as we waited for updates from the attending nurse on my cell phone from the operating room as time allowed as your surgery progressed.  In the past few weeks, often times as the date of your surgery approached, attempts to comfort tired parents where uttered in the phrases of intended comfort of, "At least this time you will know what to expect."  Although we have traveled this path before an older, wiser two year old daughter found new ways to challenge experienced parents, and this surgery brought with it, it's own unique trials.  Although we have repeated the process of dosing you with medicine, then waiting for it to take affect before standing with empty arms as your crib is rolled out of sight, we have not found the rush of emotions any easier to wave off or suppress. 

Today as we waited for your medicine to start to take effect, your anesthesiologist stopped in to answer final questions before taking you to surgery.  With the medicine starting to take effect you found comfort in the resemblance of the anesthesiologist with your grandmother.  Placing your hand on her wrist as she checked the beat of your heart with her stethoscope, you looked up at her eyes and tenderly said, "I like you, Grandma." Accepting the fact that these words where spoken for someone else, she leaned in close as she repeated, "I like you too."  Within minutes your medicine had taken full effect, final goodbyes where spoken, and you were taken to the prepared operating room to begin the consented surgeries.  Hours passed as we waited for news as to the progress of the surgeon.  Two calls were received.  One informing us the surgery was beginning and a second to confirm the final plan of surgeries to be performed.  One unique aspect when dealing with hip surgery for hip dysplasia is the surgeries are not know until the patient is lying on the table.  Before the surgery begins the surgeon reviews the list of potential surgeries gaining permission to perform as needed, but final decisions are always made as you lay on the operating table at the discretion of the surgeon.

Finally with hours of waiting completed, your surgeon enters the room to update us with the results from the day.  Your results demonstrated a second hip that required the same operations as the prior hip, open reduction combined with femoral shortening.  X-rays were reviewed demonstrating matching plates and screws holding a cut femoral head in place after removing a small piece of bone.  With the review of progress complete, a short wait commenced before our sleeping angel was returned to our room.  This time was a little different then before.  No attempt to remove the cast or strip away the hoses from your face was made; however as before with the sight of mother and father, tears began to flow as you pleaded to be removed from your crib to be held.  Distractions of your favorite movies were enacted on the flat screen TV as you slowly calmed and began to eat.