Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Hospital Chronicles: Part 3

I call this one "Could we add some more things? Because I'm getting bored here".


You remember when you had sleepovers when you were little and you would stay up all night and the next day you were so tired you felt drugged? But you didn't know what it felt like to be drugged because you were in elementary school  so you just spent the day wondering why your hands looked weird and the floor looked tilted. As I write this I am starting to think everyone may have not had this experience. Anyway, it happens. And it did. In elementary school and yesterday.

After about four hours of sleep that felt like 25 seconds, I got everything ready for the day. This included waking Parker up at 5:45 am which is by far the earliest I've ever had to do that. I was definitely concerned that this would turn the entire day into a grump fest. When I picked him up he looked at me oddly then closed his eyes then looked at me again then closed his eyes and then I laid him on the changing table and he looked me squarely in the eye and loudly proclaimed, "Baby Poop!" Okay then. I guess we're good. He then went on to tell me all about some wonderful memory he has of baby Mason making a dirty diaper. Of all things to remember. Nice.

Our friend's (Michelle) mom, Kim, came up to be with us for the surgery which was amazing. Michelle and her little girl got there shortly after I handed him over to the nurse anesthetist...which was shortly after I had another one of those 'moments'. Kim and Michelle were a perfect distraction while Mason was in surgery. I am overflowing with gratefulness for their support.

The surgeon met with us after and told us how great he did. He also told us that we caught it very early (this isn't our first rodeo) and because of that the muscle was softer than it usually is when babies get this surgery. This made the procedure a little more difficult and these are the cases that occasionally need a repeat surgery. Oh. Well then. I could have gone without that knowledge. It's cool though. I'm not panicking. A little maybe.

Anyway, Mason did great and came off of the anesthesia wonderfully. He has also taken all of his feedings perfectly. At this point I am starting to finally relax because Michelle has Parker and I sent Hunter home to sleep and Mason just fell asleep and the room is dark and cool and quiet and I'm all snug up in the hospital bed with the Boppy pillow and my sweet little boy curled up against me.

And then it happened. All of a sudden, it felt like someone grabbed the organs under my ribs and violently squeezed and twisted and wouldn't let go. It rivaled birthing pains. Not even joking. I paged Mason's nurse and she came immediately. I was doubled over the bed in pain at this point. She told me she had to take me to the emergency room and ran to get a wheelchair. I am pretty sure this is where I started crying from a mixture of severe pain and fear of the unknown and concern for the child I am supposed to be taking care of. A different nurse came to get Mason and said she would watch him while I was gone and I don't remember doing it but I called Kim and told her I needed her to come back and take care of Mason.

Mason's nurse literally ran me down to the ER while I was crying and I am pretty sure moaning in pain. I think I caused a little scene in the pediatric wing. A big scene. Just wait until tomorrow's entry. She gets me down to the ER and they want my insurance information. Seriously? I am definitely moaning in pain and my face is soaking wet with tears and you want my insurance card. Yeah, no problem here. Except you are insane.

Meanwhile, Kim is trying to get a hold of Hunter but can't because he is sleeping and doesn't hear his phone. So she tries Michelle so someone can come to the house to wake him up. But Michelle is taking a nap with the kids and doesn't hear her phone either. So Kim sends her husband to the house but Hunter, still sleeping, never hears him at the door.

At some point they wheel me back to a bed and start asking me questions about things like the date of my last  Tetanus shot. What. The. Heck. They draw blood and hook me up to an IV for pain management. Once it subsides a little, they send me to get an ultrasound. I always think that the best solution to a frightening situation is to have a strange man in a dark room press on my stomach for twenty minutes. That's my motto anyway.

The results of the ultrasound showed that I have gallstones. Hooray. We don't have enough going on right now so I was hoping more could happen. Thankfully, I didn't have to get surgery immediately because they dislodged which is about as comfortable as that sounds. But I will have to call a surgeon on Monday to schedule a surgical consult.

Yup. That all happened. Just keepin' it lively 'round here.

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