Your First Surgery

Baby Girl,

Here is another one of those "firsts" I didn't think we would have again for a while….your first surgery.  After getting RSV in November, you are been having recurrent ear infections.  Since we have had double ear infections, and an ear infection we spent 21 days on antibiotics and couldn't get rid of it the pediatrician thought we should see an ENT.  Mommy was also concerned because you had been saying the same words since about October, so we were afraid the fluid on your ears wasn't allowing you to hear sounds clearly and we didn't want you to have a speech problem.

After seeing the ENT he decided you should probably get tubes. We have several friends who have gotten tubes so I wasn't so concerned with this option.  It seemed better than you constantly being on antibiotics.  After seeing the ENT we scheduled your surgery for the next week.  

As the day approached I became more nervous.  The ENT assured us the surgery would literally last 10  minutes and we would have you back in your arms.  You wouldn't totally be put under, just enough to get you still.  So on that morning we loaded up and headed to the surgery center to have surgery.  MiMi, Ry, Nanny, and PaPaw all met us there.

Because you were the youngest patient you got to go first.  This was GREAT news since we couldn't feed you before we left the house.  They got you back in a room and in a gown quickly and we were just waiting on the doctor….

Cutest baby in a hospital gown…and yes you had to have a bow!

Once the doctor came in they were ready to go.  You did so good.  They took you from my arms and you didn't even cry.  This made it a little easier for Mommy, but I didn't like knowing they took you from me and I couldn't be with you.  The doctor was right…literally 10 minutes from them taking you, you were back in my arms.  They told us before the doctor came in that we would hear you before we saw you again, and they were right.  We could hear you crying all the way down the hall when they were bringing you back.  It was so pitiful.  Even when they put you back in my arms you just cried and cried.  I know you were confused and just wanted to sleep because all the anesthesia, but it made me so sad!!  We had to stay 30 minutes after getting you back so they could make sure you were ok and then we were free to go.

By the time we put you in the car you were much better!! You had stopped crying before we got out of the parking lot and were asleep before we got down the road.  Once we got you home, Nanny and PaPaw came over.  Daddy went and got us all breakfast.  By this time you were acting like nothing had happened!! It was really that easy!!  

While it was a simple, routine surgery and everything went great, it is something I don't want to have to go through again for a long time.  Here's to hoping you will start talking more and this will help you to not have many more ear infections.

Love,

Mommy