Thumb Surgery

Yesterday was such an exhausting day emotionally.  Knowing we had to get up at 4am to get ready to go into Boston for Elias' surgery, I tried to go to bed before midnight to get at least a few hours of sleep. But of course, the crazy other-thinker that I am, I didn't fall asleep until 2:30. Greeeaaaat.

We checked in at 6:15, and within a half hour were in the pre-op room meeting with the doctors and nurses to go over things before surgery began. I made it especially clear to the anesthesia team that I wanted them to avoid putting an IV in his head at all costs. (During a previous surgery, they couldn't get a line in his hands, and since they were operating on his feet, their only option was his head. It was very traumatic). Last time he had surgery he was small enough that they took him from us into the operating room and we didn't see them put him to sleep or anything. This time however, since he's bigger, stronger, and knows when mommy and daddy leave, they asked if one of us wanted to be in the room while they put the mask on to put him to sleep. I said I'd do it.

Then once I got all the garb on to go into the operating room, I started to get really emotional. I told Kevin maybe he should do it, I don't know if I could handle watching them put a mask on my kids face, watching him go limp and his eyes rolling back. Kevin said "you can do it, babe" so I said fine, okay. I'll do it. Then as we were getting ready to go, and I had tears in my eyes, I told the anesthesia team I might be extra emotional because of the pregnancy hormones. Its a good thing I mentioned it. They said it wasn't the best idea for me to be around the fumes from the gas mask if I was pregnant. So Kevin had to go, which he was fine with, and I thought was probably better for Elias too, as I wouldn't be able to be calm enough to calm him down. They said it was time, and off they went. I bawled me eyes out. I don't remember it being that hard last year when we did this. Just the whole idea of putting your child into someone else's hands, entrusting them with their life, is so scary. And for a control freak like me, its terrifying. Hands down one of the hardest things I've had to do as a mom thus far. 

They give you a tracking number for your patient, which I think is hilarious but awesome, and they have a scrolling list on the TV that constantly shows the status of the surgery. So we grabbed breakfast and headed to the waiting room. Time actually went pretty fast, and in an hour and a half Dr. Cassidy came up to update us. Elias had what they call thumb-in-palm. His thumb was not in the joint correctly, causing it to be "stuck" to his palm. He was able to grasp with it, kind of like a crab-claw type grasp. So they put a pin in to put in back in place and bring it out more to point more upwards than before. He said everything went great, the pin was in place, and even showed us a picture he took of what it looked like when he was done. From what we saw, it looks amazing! It looks so much more normal than it did before. I'm so glad he took pictures, because I forgot my camera in the car and wasn't able to take a "before" before, so I'll be sure to get a copy of the pictures he took next time we see him for you all to see. 

Once he was in the recovery room, they nurse came and got us. He was still asleep when we got there...

After about 10 minutes he started waking up, and of course he wasn't very happy. His one arm is completely imobolized in a cast, and the other one is taped so much to keep the IV in that he can't move his hand. So after some apple juice, yogurt melts, and some sesame street, you wouldn't have even known he just had surgery. 

Its been difficult here at home with him adjusting to not being able to use his left arm. We had to go back to using bottles because his sippy cups were two thick around for him to hold with one hand. He got very frustrated when trying to play with some of his toys. I know in just a day or two he'll completely adapt and be fine, but in the mean time I really can't do much of anything as he needs my help with almost everything he tries to do. But he'll get used to it. We go back in 3 weeks to get the cast changed, and 6 weeks from now he'll have the pin removed right in Dr. Cassidys office. He said it should feel like stitch being removed, which boggles my mind, but as long as it isn't painful then thats great!