Thank you- thank you -thank you to everyone who responded with posts, emails and phone calls of prayers and support!!!
McKenna did-- and continues to do very well!!
WARNING--The following is long! It helps me process to write it out though.
McKenna was perfect pre-op . . . She didn’t fuss about not getting to eat-- she just sat quietly in her car seat, played on the exam tables and dozed on my shoulder for a few minutes.
I had a bit of a hard time right before they took her in to surgery-- which is to be expected, but the pre-operation orientation I had gotten from the nurses on the phone over the last couple of days was totally WRONG!!! They were supposed to go over everything with me so we would know what to expect. Well- I was told she would be having outpatient surgery, that she would go home that day, that surgery would last about an hour and instructions on when to stop feeding her before hand etc... I asked a bunch of questions like-- would her sedation be delivered in i.v. form, would she receive antibiotics, what would they be giving her for pain management in recovery etc... and the nurse didn't know the answers to any of those questions! Then the last person we met with before McKenna went into surgery was her surgeon and he proceeded to tell us the surgery could take 2 hours, she would be intubated for the surgery, kept and closely monitored over night and would be evaluated by a bunch of pediatric specialists and sent home with a drain in her side that would stay for a week. I would be learning how to empty the drain and take care of that etc...
Okay-- so if you know me--AT ALL-- you know this REALLY threw me. I would not have changed anything and I totally agree with how they took care of her, BUT I LIKE TO KNOW EVERYTHING! And those details were HUGE-- in my opinion.
As I expected the moment I had to hand her to a stranger/nurse and walk away--was VERY difficult. In the waiting room my father in-law came to pray with us and he got me talking and distracted which really helped pass the time. Then Dave brought some lunch to the waiting room and forgot something-- I went down to the cafe to get it and I got lost in that huge hospital. I got back about 15 minutes later to David--a little pale in the face-- saying SHE'S DONE!! She did good! I missed the post-op meeting with the surgeon-- I couldn't BELIEVE it! But it was definitely for the best because it came way quicker than we expected and when they called Dave into the little private room he was a bit nervous thinking something went wrong. I would have been really FREAKED.
The surgeon told Dave that the Cystic Hygroma had come out really easily and there was one big one and a few smaller ones around it that he also took out. He said it only took him about 10 minutes!!! WOW! He told us before hand that the concerns were that he not damage any nerves that go into her shoulder and down her arm and also any blood vessels. Neither of those seem to be an issue at this point! Now we just have to pray that she stays out of the 10 percent that have a reoccurrence.
When they finally came to get us to say we could see her I was so anxious to hold her. I had tried my hardest to get the nurses to let me be with her in recovery. I told them I practiced a form of hands on energy work and that I just wanted to put my hands on her to help with pain and inflammation and I just wanted to be there when she woke up. They said no . . . For patient confidentiality reasons-- it's not very private and other peoples kids are in there. *SIGH* I also told one of the surgical nurses that if she had bleeding issues, if an artery was nicked etc.. to put her right hand anywhere on McKenna's body with her left hand on top at a 90 degree angle and that it would REALLY help. I said, “I know you think I'm crazy“... Then she said-- in a high voice with big eyes and a smile stuck on her face-- oh no honey-- I don't think you are crazy . . ." Um-- yeah . . LOL!
So as I was waiting for them to bring her out and I could hear her little voice moaning and crying. It took 20 minutes because of a crib issue for them to bring her out. I was pacing and so upset I just want to BUST down the door!!! That was the WORST PART!
She was intubated for surgery-- so she had tape marks on her face and a bit of a raspy voice afterwards. It was really hard to see her and hold her while she was in pain and hooked up to monitors. She had wires and tubes everywhere. She was hooked up to the monitors all the rest of the day and night. I quickly learned when they would go off with alarms it was usually because she had moved and a wire had gotten smashed or kinked or something. I felt very awkward holding her trying not to bump her incision sight which is under her right armpit and down her side and not get tangled up in all of the wires and tubes. I also am really sore from trying to hold her so she was in a comfortable position, remain as still as possible and do “right on” or some other TKM hold.
As a lot of you know I question everything. I'm exhausted, but I feel good about her care. Every time someone came in the room to shoot her i.v. with something I asked what it was, what it was for and re-evaluated with the nurse if I wanted it for her etc... I let them shoot her i.v. twice with a pain medication that is in the Ibuprofen family and after the second time she was hyperactive for 2 and a half hours-- she could not stop moving-- even with her eyes closed --she was trying to sleep and couldn't stop. At 3 am they came in to give her more and she was fast asleep and obviously not in pain-- I said no. They gave her one more dose of Percoset by mouth before we left and that's it. I have a prescription for her if she really needs it, but she is doing VERY well and seems comfortable most of the time. I also turned down glucose water, mylacon (sp?) for gas and other oral pain killers. I had to tell countless people that NO she had never had any immunizations, but only 1 person wanted to talk about it and was pretty respectful.
She vomited my breast milk once a few hours after surgery and had a bloated gassy tummy, but she handled all of her discomfort amazingly and really didn't seem to be in severe pain.
She is a very brave little girl and very tough! Last night when I put her down in the hospital crib to try and get her to sleep for the night so I could lay down-- she actually pushed up on her hands and knees and rocked and tried to crawl. I was shocked she already felt like doing that! She slept much better than I expected too.
Ma (mom) and Aunty Ta Ta (Rach) brought Cole up to visit in the evening. He fell asleep on the way there after a hard days work playing at Ma’s house and he slept up until the last 40 minutes of his 3 hour visit. He did okay, but wasn’t prepared for me and Kenna to be gone all night too-NONE OF US WERE! I talked to him on the phone before he went to bed and he was very sad and anxious-- poor little guy. He also was trying to understand the sight of all of the wires and bloody tubes and monitor etc… He would ask if Kenna was okay-- a lot.
Overall I’m very pleased with how everything went and the care was outstanding! I will write a letter about the pre-op communication issue, but not for the sake of complaining just in the hope it would not happen to someone else.
I also want to say that this experience along with Gabriella Marie Keena’s short, but beautiful and powerful life has taught me to never to take health for granted. McKenna was not ever critical and by some standards this was a walk in the park compared to what some precious babes and their parents go through. This experience only showed me the great chasm I look over to try to even began to understand what my cousin Jennette went through as precious angel Gabby’s mother. This may sound cliched-- but--I swear Gabby’s spirit was close to me the last 2 days because I could NOT stop thinking about her. Thank you Gabby for you sweet life and for watching over us. We will never ever forget you! And Jennette I will never stop praying for peace and healing for you. And health and happiness for your future children.
I love you all thank you for your prayers and your care!
Love,
Amber
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