Wednesday we loaded up and headed out to Bella's surgery. We arrived at 10:30 and got checked in, received Bella's hospital attire (to which she was very disappointed it was yellow and not red. Princesses don't wear yellow), and played a few games in the waiting room!
They called us back to the hospital room and as soon as I saw that little bitty bed, it took all I had to hold my composure. Bella immediately looked up at me and her lip was quivering. She said, "Mommy, I don't want you to leave me." I assured her I was going NO where. At least for the time being. She watched some TV while Matt and I snapped lots of pictures. Thanking God the whole time that she was willing and able to run around the hospital room like a wild child while waiting for her surgery. That's not the case for a lot of children that enter ACH.
A sweet nurse came in and gave Bella her happy juice. I was beginning to wonder if that potion was ever going to kick in and calm her. The Dr. came in to discuss his plan of action, look at Bella's fast growing tongue, and to give her a fist pump. After about 15 mins, she was nice and relaxed. She didn't care who wheeled her away and what they were going to do to her. We prayed for her and kissed and hugged her and off she went. What a helpless feeling seeing your child being wheeled away in a hospital bed, down a hallway you have never seen, with people whom you know nothing about. That's where the Lord's peace overcame us and we went to the waiting room and waited.
They called us to meet with the Dr. and he assured us all went well with her surgery. He said the mass they removed was about a inch in size. He had never seen anything like it. She has at least 8 stitches and a cut from the top to the bottom of her tongue. Just typing that makes my stomach churn. He informed us when they woke her up, she would likely be an emotional wreck. He DID NOT LIE! Whew! That she was.
It took us about an hour to get her to stop crying. I do not do well in the recovery room. Never have. I have ended up sick and passing out at every. single. one of Matt's surgeries! AND.... History repeated itself again on this day. While trying to console my screaming daughter, I am sending Matt out for crackers, and stealing my daughters apple juice because I am about to throw up and pass out. I was in and out and people were frantically trying to help Bella calm down, Matt was in the waiting room scrambling for crackers, Bella is trying to pull out her IV, the nurse is wrapping up her arm like a cast to keep her from ripping every thing out of her hand, while simultaneously pumping her full of morphine, she kept telling Bella to
stop crying because you are scaring your momma, and I am out cold in the rocking chair. I was convinced I was the one with the IV. Bella was screaming and I was the one out!!:) The Dr. comes in and begins to tell me this is the possessed state he was talking about and that when she goes back to sleep she will wake up much more normal. I am hanging on to every word he is saying while trying to not drop my daughter and wondering where in the world those crackers are!? I am sweating, shaking, and my whole body felt like jello. Matt walks back in and sternly says, "Sarah you gotta get in the game!" I
kindly told him I was doing the best I could at the same time talking myself out of passing out! He kept looking at me like....Get it together. Just so you know, I come by this extremely honest...thanks grandma and mom!!:) You guys ROCK!
I downed Bella's juice and a cracker and was well on my way to recovery!!:) HAHA. No, I really was fine after that. I pulled out some glorious tunes from my vocal chords and rocked that sweet baby to sleep!!
As I apologize over and over to the nurse for my behavior, she proceeds to tell me, "No, I was almost there with you. I was so frazzled. I didn't know what to do!!" Well, that was good to know. Also good to hear that from the Post-op caretaker of your child!!:)
Bella did indeed wake up much more calm and a little confused!:) She wanted to eat as soon as we left the hospital so we stopped and got her CFA nuggets and ice cream. We got a 12 pack so she would have some later if she wished. NOPE, she ate every single one right then and there. Stitches and all. Then all the ice cream...and wanted more. So, we stopped in Russellville and bought more nuggets for the rest of the night! We were so thankful she wanted to eat and could eat.
She did not sleep again until bed time. We are convinced the Oxycodone has had her wired and a little on edge. She's been extremely emotional and everything you say or do is wrong. We don't feel she has been in a lot of pain (because we have kept her drugged) but the meds make her CRAZY! So...in order to get our sweet little daughter back, we have taken her off the pain meds and she is just taking tylenol now. She seems much more herself and for that we are happy!
Thank you so much to everyone who has called, texted, or messaged us to check on her. It has meant so much to us. The prayers going out for her amazed me and made me realize even more what a awesome God we serve and what a friendship believers have together. People I don't even know were praying for my daughter. So humbling and amazing!
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