T & A Recovery

Do you like my hat?

Liam's adenoid surgery went a little off schedule.  We checked in at 8 to be ready for surgery at 9:30 but when we got Liam back in pre-op the versed made his oxygen sats low so we had to sit with blow by oxygen for a good 20 minutes before they finally took him back. By this time it was 10:15. After being back in surgery for only 10 minutes the Dr and nurses came out and called us back. I knew something was up because normally when surgery is over the Dr comes out to talk to you. Alone.

So happy before hand.

This was before the versed.

When we got back there we must have looked a bit scared and confused because he blurted out real quick that Liam was ok.

He told us that his adenoids were not as big as he thought they would be. But that Liam does very narrow passages in there and when he got to really looking he felt that his tonsils actually were very bothersome to him because they didn't leave him much room.  He asked our permission to remove them.

Uh, yeah! Not that I want it to happen but it's what we had been thinking all along.

After surgery Liam was very angry.

Because of the standard two hour recovery time in post-op, and having to have the IV in the entire time, Liam was very angry with us having to hold his arm out of his way for so long.

:(

The iPad helped only for a few minutes.

As soon as we took the IV out we left.

As soon as we got out the door he stopped crying.

He breezed through Wednesday with no problems at all. He laughed and played all afternoon.  But Thursday morning everything must have fully worn off because he felt horrible. He didn't want to stay awake and he cried when he was. Friday, same thing. Today has been the first day that he spent several hours at a time awake and didn't spend it in tears. It probably helped to have friends with little kids over because he loves to watch other kids.

 I've been trying to push fluids and yogurt to help him. The worst thing to give him is his meds. They taste nasty and I'm sure with his throat so raw it burns to swallow it. They said it would be better for him to have it by mouth than tube but I don't see how when it taste like drinking almond extract.

I hate to see him in pain and so miserable. But I am so thankful that his tonsils and adenoids have come out. He's been sleeping so much more quietly since. Hopefully even more of his issues will be resolved with the tonsils gone.

T & A

Liam makes a weird noise half the time that sounds likes he is trying to inhale air through a straw. Except he uses his nose. It's pretty loud. So loud I won't take him to church on Wednesday nights anymore. He has been doing it since last November when he got his cold. I have assumed it was just a new trick he does. Like with his tongue. He used to stick his tongue out and bite it. Now he shoves it in his cheek. I figured he picked up this new breathing noise when he was sick and just stuck with it.

A few weeks ago my mom and Liam's OT both mentioned that Liam had big tonsils within a few days of each other. So I took him to Dr. Kid who said she was 95% sure they needed to be removed and sent me to ENT.

ENT said that the tonsils were large-ish. On a scale of 1-4 Liam is a 2.5. But he felt Liam's issues were from his adenoids.  He felt they must be pretty large and are interfering with Liam's breathing. He asked if he snored. Check. Did he wake up at night. Check. Well then adenoids need to go.  But not the tonsils.  I got the impression that he didn't want to do the tonsillectomy on Liam because he's 'special'. I felt like he didn't want to put Liam through it since he's disabled...like Liam couldn't handle it.

I went home happy that the tonsils didn't need to be removed and then after I got to talking to some of his therapists (who feel like the tonsils need to go) I called back with some questions. When I talked to the nurse she reiterated what I felt....that the Dr didn't want to put Liam through that surgery because of his special needs. And that he felt a lot of Liam's issues will be resolved with the removal of the adenoids.

We shall see.
 It will be pointless if he has to have surgery twice when it could have all been done at once.

The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. It's supposedly 30 minutes minus sedation and intubation.

I know we are lucky and this is minor but this will be Liam's fourth surgery. I wish there was no intubation. That word sends fear and pangs of anxiety through the heart of any micropreemie mom. But I'll be glad to get those suckers out of there.

I should ask if I can have them.

Put them in his baby book.


Just kidding.

Kinda.