BEFORE & AFTER
G had oral surgery this past Friday to repair his front four teeth and first year molars. We aren't sure of the cause of this rapid deterioration, but the experts highly recommended repairing these teeth asap so that he can enjoy the few years left with his "baby teeth." Limiting sugar (which most of you know is an understatement in this household) and consistent brushing just wasn't helping. In fact, the rate at which his teeth were rotting was so fast that in just a few months the diagnosis changed to include two more teeth be repaired! Ahh!
So, Friday, we found ourselves (mommy, daddy, and G) at our local hospital. We arrived around 7:45 am at the Admitting Desk. After standing there for a few minutes without so much as a glance from the two busy ladies, the patient standing behind me asked if we were waiting to be admitted. With my reply of "yes," one of workers with a frown announced, "Can I help you?" Discouraged by this repeat experience (I had pre-registered G 3 days prior), I began to wonder, "Is this what our day is going to look like?"
We waited patiently until called to the next holding area. Here we saw the sweet lady who had pre-registered us and also the receptionist of another department whom we had seen a few days earlier. Both waved, smiled, and winked at Garrett. Things were looking up! Once in a room in the Pediatric Ward, G was awake and alive. We had fun getting acquainted with the staff and looking at the colorful ceiling tiles painted by former patients. In our room, the corner tiles were painted with Batman and Elmo (both recent obsessions by G; although, we have NO IDEA from where his exposure to Batman came).
About 45 min. later, we found ourselves in the Pre-0p area awaiting the introduction of our anesthesiologist. This room was filled with colorful ceiling tiles too as well as a TV and a red & yellow car! G entertained the lounging staff of nursed, doctors, and techs. Our anesthiologist was hysterically quirky with horrible bedside manor. I couldn't believe that he would be assigned to children. He nonchalantly told us G would be given "sleepy juice" in this room and then taken about 20 min. later to the OR to receive gas to be put to sleep. I'm not sure if he is just used to dealing with folks who are ill-informed about medicine or who simply just don't care to know what type of meds are being given, but I had to pull the type of drugs out of him that would be administered. Which reminds me, I felt as if I had basically signed over consent to this hospital to do anything they wanted with my little G. What very little information was given to us about the procedure I had to pry out of my doctor and still, they would not give me specifics of drugs and procedures before D day. This was frustrating. I guess this is how it all works....not good for us A type folks who want to know everything ahead of time so that we can do our research and feel at peace with what is about to be done.
As G became drousy from the "sleepy juice," Chris and I stood on either side of the bed where he lay snuggled with his new "doctor bear" and "doggy general" (both of which he is completely attached - this comes with trauma). He, painlessly, watched not 20 min., but an 1 1/2 hrs. of TV - a MAJOR treat as we purposely do not have cable in our home and limit his exposure by allowing hi to watch the occassional Signing Times video or Sesame Street on the computer. He enjoyed
Clifford the Big Red Dog,
Sesame Street and the beginning of
Word World. As we waited, we talked with G a little, but mostly watched him sleepily enjoy his cartoons and smiled as he slurred his words while talking to Elmo.
To my surprise and delight, Dr. Hutchison was working today. He is an anesthesiologist and the father of my greatest friends and running buddy, Tricia Coble. He was so polite to check on us and to make sure that we understood exactly what drugs G would be given and how this would all take place. He also took some time to talk with G and to make sure he was ok. It was good to be reassured and given a few more details from someone we trust. This helped calm my nerves a little; although, I was definitely the most unnerved one of us three. When the nurse in scrubs came in the room to prepare G for his departure to the OR, she looked familiar but I couldn't place her. After ruling out our aquaintance at church or the gym, she asked if I did anything with Northside (meaning Northside High School). I answered, "Yes, Chris coaches...." She jumped about a mile high and nearly knocked Chris down as she side hugged him and said, "I'm Josh's mom." Whew! What a joy to have yet another person that we know with G during the operation. Josh Andrews is a player who has been under Chris' leadershi p for the past 3 years and we adore him....so does G!!! Jeff, the nurse anesthetist, was a very nice man who came in the room with such a reassuring, calm prescence that G hardly noticed him until he said he had a 2 yr. old son named Jack. PRAISE YOU LORD!!! What a joy to see how the Lord is orchestrating each person to minister to G. As they wheeled G away from us and told us they'd give us a call shortly to let us know how G received the anesthesia, he calmly said, "Bye" and talked their ears off telling stories. And from what we were told, he was amazing in the OR and in the Recovery Room. He never cried. Not so for mommy - I cried as I watched him being wheeled away and any time I thought about the trauma he might face without me being there to console him or at the thought of loosing my G. He is such a joy to us! This was definitely one of the hardest days of my life trusting others completely with my boy! The next couple of hours were a time of waiting and thinking. Chris and I were able to spend some quiet time together. As we lay in room 3255, I prayed constantly over G. What a day to remind me that Garrett is a gift from heaven to us. God created him for a purpose and has a plan for his life. WE do not own him nor will we always be there for him. This day has allowed me to view my son in light of God's creation, God's redemption, and God's providence in all things. I am so grateful for the doctors and nurses who helped him - for their wisdom, expertise, and compassion.
Dr. Williams called to let us know how well surgery went and that G would be in recovery for the next 30 min. He said they may or may not call one of us to come to recovery...I was hoping they would!! But, as it would happen, Dr. Williams knocked on the door and not 30 seconds behind him was sleepy G being wheeled in the room. The recovery nurse said that he did great and that he had just been given morphine.
The next several hours were filled with daddy holding G as he awoke for brief moments to chat & eat, mommy journaling, going home to check on Eme & to get some food and G delighting in the newly found favorite - an orange POP-SICLE!!!! ...oh, yes, complete with all artificial ingredients including dyes! Oh, but he liked it and even asked for another one when he awoke a 2nd time and realized it had melted! Our sweet nurse, Martha Stepp, gladly fulfilled his request and asked us again if we needed anything. As it turns out, she, too, new me from singing on stage at our church and is great friends with the parents of one of my good friends from college. What a small world and what a Mighty God who leads the way in all walks! Thank you, Lord, for blessing our day in the hospital.
We arrived home around 5:20 pm where dinner was waiting on the stove. My sweet mom, affectionately called Yana, generously took a day off work to keep Eme for us. We enjoyed a good southern comfort meal complete with Granddaddy's purple hull peas & green beans, yummy sweet potatoes, and home-made cornbread. G was so drousy that he slept through dinner but around 8 pm, he awoke and decided that he, too, needed to partake of some food. Upon offering him applesauce, he declined. Instead, he sat with Yana (still in his hospital gown over his pjs- he insisted he wear his "gown" home) enjoying cornbread and peas!!! What?!!! Yes, you read correctly, G ate food not even 8 hours after oral surgery!
G has amazed us with his recovery and only complained briefly Sat. night that his teeth hurt. One dose of Tylenol before bed cured this ache.
We are grateful for this experience although we wish it upon no one.
G's new teeth suit him well and he is so proud of them! Just ask to see his teeth and he'll open up real wide!
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