Jake's Surgery

We had a wonderful experience at the Outpatient Surgery Center at Loma Linda University Hospital. After being called back to the prep area, Jake was able to watch cartoons as I helped him dress in his hospital gown. That was the only point where it got a little nervous and said he didn't want to sleep at the doctors. I told him it would be okay and asked him to guess what his surprise would be when he was all done and it was enough of a distraction that he got over his nerves. The nurse and anesthesiologist gave him some liquid Versed to get him calm and groggy, he got to pick the flavor of his gas (strawberry) and they showed him the mask and how is hand would be taped when he woke up. Then I said my good-byes and watched as they wheeled him off.

And just like everyone said, I stayed strong and only cried a little after I got out to the waiting room. It is so hard not to worry!

An hour or so later, I got called back to recovery and this is what I found:

As much growing and maturing as he has done lately, when I saw him lying there still fast asleep, he looked so small. While he was still out, he was visited by Grandpa Bob and Grandma Anne and Great-Grandpa Ken and Grand-Grandma Anita. It took a while for him to wake up, but thankfully, he did so without much fanfare (some of the other kids cried and screamed and carried on for quite some time). He was however, very eager to go home and so as soon as he drank some apple juice and got the all clear, the nurse removed his IV and I got him dressed. He was still pretty out of it, so I had them wheelchair him to the car where Joe and Jadyn were anxiously waiting for him, as well as his new mini-micro remote control car that he has been wanting for quite some time.

I forgot to take a picture of his belly when he had the Steri-Strip taped on it (they even drew a picture of a pumpkin on it) but we took it off Sunday night and everything is healing nicely. He never had to take more than Tylenol for pain and you could only very minimally tell he is sore when he tries to move too fast. He did complain of a sore throat Saturday, which is most likely from the intubation. When we showed Jadyn his "new bellybutton" she immediately looked at hers. Upon realizing that it was not supposed to stick out the way hers still does, she started trying to push it back in and keep it there because she said she doesn't want to have the surgery too. And hopefully, her hernia will close on its own because somehow I think it would be a different experience with her.