Valerie
03-17-2007, 07:16 PM
Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and good wishes!
What an utterly exhausting and unbelievable experience! The intensity of emotions were more than I could have ever prepared for. Wow.
I wish I were up to giving more details at this time, even now some of the intensity of feelings and the thoughts that came with them in the midst of the experience has begun to fade. But I suspect such fading is necessary for our sanity. Especially if you find you must go through it again sometime in the future.
Ok, a quick run down:
Here he is getting his gown tied on:
http://lh4.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv02CQQicI/AAAAAAAABAE/XOp1YrGS3o8/s400/PICT0016.JPG
Time to say goodbye:
http://lh6.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv6IiQQioI/AAAAAAAABBk/cv2JJyhbyR4/s400/100_1429.jpg
Our first sight of him following surgery:
http://lh4.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv7zCQQisI/AAAAAAAABCE/keEiYVrTbo0/s400/100_1439.jpg
5 the next morning. He's finally ready to be held (he was clear that he did not want to be messed with before this time) and to take a little food:
http://lh3.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwBtiQQizI/AAAAAAAABC8/au5DNmGKerM/s288/100_1469.jpg
10 am - This is the worst his eye swelling got (I determinedly kept his head as elevated as possible - I like to think that made some difference):
http://lh6.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwBuSQQi0I/AAAAAAAABDE/XiF5f3IsWg0/s400/100_1470.jpg
The second day he had lots of happy time and amazed everyone. He got his last small dose of morphine 5 that morning, and had only received one dose of regular tylenol at 11am. Here he is around 9 pm:
http://lh5.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwEtCQQi_I/AAAAAAAABEc/a-sAPRYm-VU/s400/PICT0006.JPG
Going home - Less than 43 hours after surgery was over:
http://lh3.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwHsiQQjII/AAAAAAAABFo/gaIZ8iI8XxM/s400/PICT0012.JPG
The first 15 hours were the most disturbing. The period in which he lay quiet and slept most of the time. Except when he woke up just before 8 pm the first night and let everyone know how thoroughly ticked off he was.
He also had some irritation from the breathing tube used during surgery, and had some difficulty breathing for awhile. Other than concerns with putting one so young under anesthesia, the risk of this kind of irritation is higher for such a little one - the tubes only come so small and become more of a problem for smaller throats.
That's all for now! It is such a relief to be on the other side!
What an utterly exhausting and unbelievable experience! The intensity of emotions were more than I could have ever prepared for. Wow.
I wish I were up to giving more details at this time, even now some of the intensity of feelings and the thoughts that came with them in the midst of the experience has begun to fade. But I suspect such fading is necessary for our sanity. Especially if you find you must go through it again sometime in the future.
Ok, a quick run down:
Here he is getting his gown tied on:
http://lh4.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv02CQQicI/AAAAAAAABAE/XOp1YrGS3o8/s400/PICT0016.JPG
Time to say goodbye:
http://lh6.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv6IiQQioI/AAAAAAAABBk/cv2JJyhbyR4/s400/100_1429.jpg
Our first sight of him following surgery:
http://lh4.google.com/image/boundbygrace/Rfv7zCQQisI/AAAAAAAABCE/keEiYVrTbo0/s400/100_1439.jpg
5 the next morning. He's finally ready to be held (he was clear that he did not want to be messed with before this time) and to take a little food:
http://lh3.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwBtiQQizI/AAAAAAAABC8/au5DNmGKerM/s288/100_1469.jpg
10 am - This is the worst his eye swelling got (I determinedly kept his head as elevated as possible - I like to think that made some difference):
http://lh6.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwBuSQQi0I/AAAAAAAABDE/XiF5f3IsWg0/s400/100_1470.jpg
The second day he had lots of happy time and amazed everyone. He got his last small dose of morphine 5 that morning, and had only received one dose of regular tylenol at 11am. Here he is around 9 pm:
http://lh5.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwEtCQQi_I/AAAAAAAABEc/a-sAPRYm-VU/s400/PICT0006.JPG
Going home - Less than 43 hours after surgery was over:
http://lh3.google.com/image/boundbygrace/RfwHsiQQjII/AAAAAAAABFo/gaIZ8iI8XxM/s400/PICT0012.JPG
The first 15 hours were the most disturbing. The period in which he lay quiet and slept most of the time. Except when he woke up just before 8 pm the first night and let everyone know how thoroughly ticked off he was.
He also had some irritation from the breathing tube used during surgery, and had some difficulty breathing for awhile. Other than concerns with putting one so young under anesthesia, the risk of this kind of irritation is higher for such a little one - the tubes only come so small and become more of a problem for smaller throats.
That's all for now! It is such a relief to be on the other side!