The Patient

After many months of waiting, Ethan's much anticipated surgery date was here. I guess the good and bad news was that he really had no idea what what really going to happen or what to expect, no matter how many times we talked to him about the procedure.

The morning started off like any other morning except Ethan could only have clear liquids until 9 and then nothing after that! In all honesty, that was probably one of the hardest things about prepping him for his surgery. He did get to enjoy his first 2 Popsicles and lots of water. We tried to keep busy until we left at 10:30 with a nice long walk and a stop to see Baby Ellie. Anything to avoid being in the kitchen, really!We then headed to the Children's Memorial Hospital surgical center in Westchester. They got us all checked in and showed us to Ethan's "room" where he changed into his hospital gown and booties. And gave him his cool "anklet." While I would rather not have seen my child in a mini hospital gown, he did look pretty darn cute in his little yellow get up.
There were tons of toys to play with, including multiple tractors, shopping carts, and big trucks. Ethan enjoyed the kitchen the most though and thought it was great to make coffee in the oven and "wash" his hands in the sink.

The anesthesiologist and Dr. Cheng came to talk to us a little more about the procedure and what to expect. We decided for a couple of reasons (my emotional state and Baby H #2) that it would be best for Matt to accompany Ethan into surgery and be there while they gave him the anesthetic. And, from what I understand that was probably a great decision! I guess Ethan didn't love the gas mask (who would?) and was gasping for air and kind of twitching as he fell asleep. Poor boy!

Dr. Cheng was great with Ethan though and even gave him a little tattoo with his purple pen before heading off to prep for surgery. Shortly thereafter, the anesthesiologist and her resident came back to get Ethan and Matt. Watching my baby be wheeled away in his little hospital bed was so so hard, but I knew he would be in good hands and back in my arms in about an hour.

Exactly an hour after being wheeled off, Dr. Cheng came back and gave us the thumbs up sign, the surgery was a success! Ethan's hydrocele and hernia had been repaired without any complications. Ethan was starting to wake up and in recovery. We would get to see him in about 5 minutes!

Unfortunately, Ethan had a hard time "waking up" and was hysterical so we got to go back to the recovery area and see him, comfort him. The IV was really bothering him as well and he kept pulling and tugging at it. I couldn't wait to get my arms around him, as seeing him so upset was really really hard for me. Sure enough, as soon as I started to hold him and he had his blankie, paci, and bunny, he was back to sleep! We then moved back to his room and let him sleep for another hour or so. Oh how sweet he was...I enjoyed all the snuggles too!

When Ethan woke up for the 2nd time, he seemed to be in good spirits. The IV was still bothering him, but we assured him as soon as he drank some juice, the IV could go bye-bye. About a sippy cup of juice later, the IV was all gone...thank goodness! The only complication we had at that point was his ability to walk. Part of the anesthetic process was to give him what is essentially an epidural. It would numb his middle section for 6-8 hours, thus helping with the pain during this time. He would regain the strength to walk before that time, but it would just take a little bit. Well, we tried to soon and he just collapsed as soon as he put weight on his little legs. Poor boy!

We were then ready to head home! We gathered our things, picked up Ethan, got in the car and drove home. I was a little worried about what to expect those 1st few hours, but all in all everything was great. By the time we arrived at our house, Ethan was up and running. Literally! Not full force, but definitely moving! Granted, he probably could not feel his middle section, but he was able to play, which was all he wanted to do. He was really tired by the time bed time rolled around tonight and in a bit of pain, but his bed and some Tylenol seemed to take care of that.

So, all in all, the surgery was a success. He has a small cut right about his pelvic area that was stitched from the inside and then essentially taped on the outside. We go back in 2 weeks for a follow up, where they should removed the bandage and we are good to go. His only restriction really is no swimming in chlorinated water for a week. Not too bad! We shall see what tonight and tomorrow bring. I am anticipating some pain, but am hoping for a peaceful night's sleep for Ethan and a fun day tomorrow.

We are just so thankful that the surgery is over and was a success. We hope we don't have to go through this for a long time, if ever! Thank you all for the phone calls and texts yesterday, we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers!