Bug's Surgery: The Details

The morning of surgery Grammy and Aunt Patty met us at the hotel and stayed with Bear while Daddy and I took Bug to the hospital. Everything went just as the child life specialist said it would. We checked in and waited just a few minutes before being taken back to get vitals, change into the hospital PJs, and talk with the doc. The child life specialist came back and visited with Bug while the nurse asked Daddy and I all the routine questions (last time she ate, meds she's taking, etc). Grandpa showed up and from there we were all taken to a holding room where we met the OR nurses and anesthesiologist and Kylee choose one of us (Me!) to go back to the OR with her. Bug declined the bed ride there. Instead, she walked right into the OR and let the nurse help her onto the table. The anesthesiologist was AMAZING! Bug fell to sleep smiling and talking to her about princesses. She didn't seem to mind the mask or gas at all, probably because it was strawberry scented (She got to sample and choose a scent). I gave my sweet princess a kiss and then went to the waiting room. Grammy met us (Daddy, Grandpa, & I) there, and Aunt Patty played with Bear at the hotel. The surgery lasted just under 4 hours. The nurses called every hour with an update. Afterwards, the doc came out and let us know the everything went smoothly. Then Daddy and I got to go be with her in the recovery room while she woke up. The breathing tube was removed before she left the OR and a drain wasn't needed. So, all she woke up with was an IV. Hallelujah! She was in some pain when she woke up, but by the time she got to her inpatient room, she was already feeling better. She didn't ask for pain meds once her whole stay! As soon as we got to the room, she asked to paint her nails and watch the special ballet DVD that Miss Cheryl let her barrow. Less than 2 hours after her surgery she was already sitting up and not just asking but insisting on coloring and doing crafts. The IV was in her coloring hand, but she didn't let that slow her down.

 

pretty flower headband made by Bug

 

Bug got a kick out of having a Popsicle button (nurse call button) and a housekeeper and enjoyed having full control over the TV & DVD player. The little diva didn't hesitate to call for Popsicles. She told us that it was the best hospital ever and told Daddy that he needed to make more money so that she could have cleaning lady at home like they have in castles and at the hospital.  She had to take meds every 6 hours and get blood drawn every 4 hours to monitor her calcium levels. The blood draws were NOT fun (some required more than one poke), but she coped SO well! The nurses told her that she was the perfect patient and the smartest little girl they've met! I am so incredibly proud of her!

Bug stayed up super late the first night and, after less than 4 hours of sleep, woke up asking for "real" clothes, her headband, lip gloss, and to go play. Unfortunately, before we escaped from the room, the team of endcorine doctors showed up and told us that her calcium levels were starting to drop and that she would have to stay in her room hooked to the heart monitors all day. Daddy threw a fit on her behalf. So, the nurse and child life specialist made some calls and pulled some strings to get a portable monitor for her to use that evening so that we could go down to the play zone and see the therapy dogs. The dogs were awesome! One of them in particular, Chsa Chsa, was the PERFECT medicine for Bug. Chsa Chsa was tiny, fancy, adorable, and five years old, just like my little princess! Bug got lots of one on one time with her and was absolutely in heaven! The dogs' owners were super sweet and seemed as excited about Bug as Bug was about the dogs. They told her she was beautiful, that something about her was "just stunning", and that she had the perfect face. Yeah.... she totally ate that up!

Despite having a plethora of movies, books, and crafts to choose from, being stuck in the room all day gave her a little bit of cabin fever. Here she is trying to lick Daddy.

waiting in the garden for the play zone to open

enjoying the Dog Show

Bug slept more that night and was doing better than expected in the morning. Instead of continuing to drop, her calcium levels went back up! She was cleared by the surgical and endocrinology teams and discharged from the hospital several days early! Woohoo!! We will continue her meds and will have to take her to the blood lab every few days.

Bug requested that we stop by Red Lobster on the way home. She feasted on shrimp, lobster, crab legs, and chocolate cake. I purposely left my phone in the car so that I wouldn't be tempted to annoy her and Daddy by taking pictures while she ate. I'm kicking myself for doing that, because, after we ate, she got to hold one of the lobsters from the tank. The manager showed her different parts of the lobster and taught her all about them and how they fly to the restaurant from Maine on dry ice.



Home with all of her get well gifts! A few are from Mommy & Daddy. One is from Grandpa. A couple are from hospital volunteers. Most are from Aunt Michelle and Grandma.

The day after we got home Stacey stopped by and gave Bug her very own mirrored make-up case with real lip gloss and lipstick.  Then Grandpa took her to mall and let her pick out earrings, necklaces, glitter makeup and perfume!