June 7th - Dental Surgery

Today was Kayla's dental surgery.  Just so you know how far she has come since the beginning, I was able to talk to her yesterday about what we'd be doing.  A couple of months ago, I would not have done that.  She did much better not knowing what was about to happen.  But, I told her yesterday that we were going to be getting up VERY early and going to the hospital.  I walked her through everything (including no food or water) and she was totally fine with it.  Kayla even reminded me to wake her up in the morning. :)  

So, my day started out at 5AM  (well, actually more around 4:30AM. . . I could not sleep for that last half hour and it seemed to drag on for forever!)  I got up, got ready and ate breakfast before I woke Kayla up so she wouldn't see me eating.  I told her she could just wear her pajamas, so after she woke up I put the sleepy cream on her port and we headed out to the van at about 5:30AM.  In the car, Kayla told me that she was "swallowing her slobber."  She never once complained about being hungry or thirsty.

We got to the hospital right at 6AM and got registered.  Then they took us down to the surgery waiting room (I think that's where we went . . . I was kind of tired).  A nurse then came and took us back to pre-op.  I have to say that this whole thing was A LOT easier than when we were there a couple months ago getting her port put in.  

We were back in the pre-op room for awhile waiting, talking to nurses, the doctor and anesthesiologist.  The nurse told me that they were going to use a gas mask to put her under and then access her port.  I wasn't so sure that would be a great idea.  Neither did Kayla--she does not like the gas mask thing.  I told the nurse that she would be much better accessing her port and using it for the anesthesia.  Thankfully, they did that.  I could tell that the nurses there don't access ports all day everyday like at the clinic. ;)  It took the nurse like 10 minutes just to get everything out of the packaging and and go through the procedure of accessing her port.  The nurses were very impressed with how well Kayla did.  It is no problem for her anymore.  Yay!  

After her port was accessed, they gave her something to relax her.  I got all dressed up in the operating room attire (body suit, booties and hair net) and got into the bed with Kayla.  We both got rolled down the hall into the operating room.  In there, we moved Kayla on to the operating table and I held her as the anesthesiologist gave her medicine to knock her out.  She went to sleep pretty quickly and I got let back to the surgery waiting room.  

Everyone kept asking how I was doing.  Honestly, this was so much easier than the last time that I was doing just fine.  It was a little bit hard to see her asleep and walk out of the room, but they let me give her a little kiss on the cheek before I left.  I waited for about 45 minutes and then someone came and told me that there was an update from the operating room for me.  So, I went to the front desk and the nurse was on the phone for me.  She told me that they were halfway done and that everything was going great.  She was just afraid that I was out there worried about how it was going.  Actually, I was fine, but I thought it was very nice of her to give me an update.  

After about an hour or so of waiting, Kayla was done and in recovery and someone came and got me and took me back to her.  I got there just before she woke up.  Phew!  I specifically told a few different nurses that I needed to be back there before she woke up.  Both times she was put under at the beginning of this whole thing, she woke up before I was back to her and she freaked out both times.  I did talk to Kayla before hand and told her that if I wasn't there yet, not to cry, but that I would be there right after she woke up.  This was another big thing for her. . . she told me "okay" and seemed fine with it.  Wow, how far she has come!

Kayla woke up just fine, asked for water and a popsicle and and then went back to sleep.  The nurse kept telling me that she was doing fantastic and that everything looked great, so when she woke up we could go home.  We were in recovery for about an hour before we left.  The nurse de-accessed her port right before we left and was amazed at how well Kayla did.  I told her that she's been doing this weekly for the past 12 weeks, so she is finally getting used to it all.   

Here is another major milestone for Kayla. . . the nurse asked her if she wanted to ride in a wagon or a wheelchair.  She chose wagon.  When the nurse asked Kayla if she would let her lift her into the wagon, Kayla said yes.  What?!  I was shocked.  She never lets anyone move her carry her but me.   So, the nurse lifted her up out of bed and into the wagon.  Two other nurses pulled her down to the main lobby --and get ready for this--one of them told me to go out and pull my car around to the front.  They would take Kayla a different way to meet me.  I told Kayla where I was going . . . and she was totally fine.  Whoa.  So, I went and pulled the van around and they brought her out to me and she jumped out and got into the van.  

We got home by 11:30AM.  Kayla was great the rest of the day.  She was a little tired at first, but later in the afternoon she was up and around like normal.  

I am so glad that this is over!  And by the way, she has 7 sliver crowns and 1 filling.  Sigh. . . she comes from parents with weak enamel.  

What an amazing little girl!