Autumn's Surgery, the After

Ready for surgery! She looked so cute in her little hospital gown.

I had to wear a white jumpsuit, slippers and a cap to take her back to the operating room. She told me I looked really silly. I agreed.

There were multiple waiting rooms. I think this was the 3rd, which was a playroom for the kids. She had way too much energy considering we left the house at 6AM.

"Mama, look, it's morning!" It was still pitch black when we left that morning.

"Mama, take my picture!" She may or may not be a photographers daughter.

January 4, 2013 - 8:44AM

Autumn is currently in surgery.

She was bright and bubbly this morning. We woke up at 5:45 and we were out the door at 6. There wasn't a ton of traffic and we got to the surgical center a few minutes before 7, and we were asked to be there at 7:15.

I did good this morning. No upset stomach from my nerves, just that sick, nauseated/hungry feeling that started last night. It was hard to be away from Brody, more than I expected but it was a good distraction.

Autumn did great with the nurses and waiting for her turn. She held my hand and walked with me to the operating room. They rushed everything once she was on the table, which started to scare her. I tried to calm her down and hold her hands away from the mask. She started stretching out her neck and looked scared, and eventually I guess she fell asleep. I expected them to take off the mask and I could see she was peaceful and okay, but they didn't. They escorted me out of the room very quickly. It's all a blur to me, so I am sure Autumn was nervous but she didn't flail or cry. She did great.

When I left the room I held back tears. When I saw Adam in the waiting room, that was another story. I made the ugly crying face and was done. The waiting room was suddenly packed so I didn't want to start sobbing and really, the few tears were really more about releasing some of the stress and tension of the anticipation.

Now we wait. I'm starving (and getting a headache as a result) but we can't eat in the waiting room. I'm anxious for them to call me back and tell me everything is okay. I need my sweet baby girl to be okay! :)

January 4, 2013 - 12:37PM

Everything went great with he surgery. It was really fast. At first they called our name and said he was done and took us to a small room off the waiting room. I told Adam I didn't like being in the room - being moved to a room is never good. I think I've just been watching too much Private Practice, because they doctor came in and told us everything went great and Autumn was doing fine.

He snipped 3 muscles, including the one that was causing the Brown's Syndrome, or her trouble looking upward with her right eye. He said it was one of the tightest muscles he has ever seen. But everything went well and after about 5 more minutes, I was reunited with my sweet girl.

When I saw her, she was sitting hunched over, still asleep, on the hospital bed being cradled by a nurse. They had me sit down in the chair and she poured into my arms. I can't tell you how good that felt, to hold my sweet girl.

I mean, this surgery is no big deal for the doctor. He's a pro. In terms of serious surgeries, there aren't a ton of risks involved. To a mom, none of that mattered to me. I was still nervous, I wanted to hold her hand and just couldn't stop thinking worst case scenario. So again, getting to hold her in my arms while she slept was so comforting.

She didn't really want to wake up. "Autumn, do you want a drink?"

"No, thanks."

Even in a groggy state, she polite as all get out. I hugged her a little tighter!

Adam helped us get our things to the car while I carried her to the car. She was chipper and happy, telling is it was "morning", but she was anxious to go back to sleep. Adam went back to work and we headed home.

Now we're home and she's fast asleep. The anesthesiologist gave her a little something to help her sleep most of the afternoon (I joked that maybe he could send me home with a prescription of it...). She has complained a little bit of some discomfort in her eye, but I'm keeping up with Motrin and Advil. She's finally knocked out and seems to be okay. She's a little nauseated, so nothing to eat or drink yet.

I should be resting too, but I'm still a little wound up from the anxiety I have built up inside. Plus, I miss my sweet baby boy that is still with Nana and Grandpa. We'll see.

She slept almost the entire day of her surgery. She'd wake up an occasionally whimper about pain in her eye, but I kept her on alternating schedules of Motrin and Tylenol to help. She slept with me the night of her surgery and did better than I thought she would.

She was more mobile and awake the next day. Her eye was swollen shut and still pretty gruesome. Each day she is getting better, and last night (Saturday) she slept much more sound and through the night. She's back in her bed tonight (Sunday). Before bed, she could actually partially open the eye. Phew!