Puff Baby

S3's surgery went long but well. We arrived at 6:35 am and got him checked in. They did a mini physical and we got him into hospital garb. Then we went into the back room with the nurse where they gave S3 Veriset (sp?) to help him relax. Once that kicked in he gratefully accepted a stuffed lion and to be put into the wagon. They wheeled him away around 8:40 am with the anesthesiologist. Dad went to school and mom went to the waiting room.

Our nurse called me every hour to let me know how things were going. At 9:45 am she called to say they had just made the incision and all was going well. Before they could start the anesthesiologist had to put in not only an IV but an arterial line and a central line. He also had to put in a catheter and a special heart monitor on S3 to watch for any air embolism in his heart. S3 has very small and hard to find veins, as evidenced by the five times it took them to get his IV in when he had his cat scan. Thus it took awhile. The good part,for me, was that during the next hour they brought the hospitality cart around so I got a snack. Yum.

At 10:45 am Pam, our nurse, called to say that they had his forehead off and that he was starting to lose a bit more blood than they would like but he was still stable and doing well. I spoke with the neurosurgeon this morning and he said that S3 is one thick headed kid. Okay, he didn't say it like that. Because of his age, his head is very thick- it's thinner and doesn't bleed as much when they are younger ( 8-10 months is the prime time for this surgery) or as adults. But I think our family is also predisposed to be thick headed - in more ways than one. Also, they were planning on taking his forehead off all in one piece but it was stuck on really well and was bleeding too much so they had to cut it vertically down the middle and remove one section at a time. His dura (covering over your brain) also tore a little, but that is common and caused no problems and no long term issues.

The next call from Pam at 11:45 am let us know that they were busy reshaping his bones and that they had given him one unit of blood and were washing his blood to give him back his own red blood cells if he needed them. But, all was stable and proceeding well. David showed up around this time and stayed until we got S3 settled and he left around 4:30 pm to go back to the school and get some work done.

At a little after 1:00 pm Pam called to let us know S3 had gotten the washed cells that they were busy putting the pieces back into his head. I asked her how many pieces there were and I guess there were four pieces. Once again she said he was doing well.

About 2:00 pm Pam called for the last time to let us know they were about to close him up and that should take about 30 minutes and then another 15 minutes to bandage him. Then the CFS (cranio facial surgeon) would come down and talk with us.

When the CFS came down shortly after 3 pm he said that S3 did great and that all went well. He said that S3's forehead will look more like a U than a V now and as he grows, it will flatten out more like a normal forehead. We go in for a follow up visit two weeks after we leave the hospital. Then back again in 6 months and once a year after that until S3 is 10 or 11 years old when his sinus are all finished developing. He also said that S3 had needed two units of donor blood and two units of washed cells but that he was doing great. They took S3 from the OR to the PICU (pediatric ICU). We thanked the doctor and then had to wait about an hour to join S3 in the PICU. He really didn't look too bad. His head wrap made him look like a boxer or wrestler with a helmet on and he was a bit puffy. He's puffed up as time has gone on but the discoloration hasn't set in yet. I'm taking pictures and will post them once developed.

S3 really hasn't wanted anything to eat or drink as he has thrown up all the apple juice we have given him. However, he seems to be holding down the two ounces of melted cherry slushie that I gave him right before I came to type this.

Last night his Aunt Jen, Uncle Regan, and Gma F came to visit him- not that he noticed. Once he was settled for the night I slept in one of the rooms they have for PICU parents. Then first thing after shift change I went into the PICU. S3 was sleeping but woke up soon and tried to get up so I could hold him. So we rearranged things a little and he sat on my lap and fell asleep for a couple of hours. He woke up and was uncomfortable. So he got more morphine and fell back asleep. S3 is doing so well that they are ready to transfer him out of the PICU and are just waiting for a bed, more specifically a nurse, to transfer him. They also took out his central line. His arterial line and catheter were removed yesterday in the evening. So needless to say he is feeling better without so many things poking him and hanging off of him.

About the grossest thing about all the things attached to S3 is what I dubbed the blood bomb or blood grenade. He has a drain tube in his forehead that runs down below his ear. The tube drains into a pressure suction bulb that looks like a flattened grenade. It's pretty "interesting" to watch it fill up with blood and plasma. Yesterday it was very dark red but today it is more watery, which is good. However, because he is draining so much, they will not remove the tube on Sunday as originally planned but wait until Monday or Tuesday. My hope that because S3 is draining so much his eyes won't swell shut and turn black and blue like they normally do after this surgery.

Well, I think that is about all. I have to have my cell phone off while in the PICU but once we get into his other room I will have it on. S1 and S2 are doing well and having fun with Grandma W, even if they do have differences of opinion. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I truly have had peace during this whole experience because of the blessings of the priesthood and the faith of all who care about us. I'll post more as I have the chance or as I try to remember things. I may have slept well last night but I am still exhausted!