Anyone who hasn't been reading long; the 3 year old had grommets fitted 2 weeks ago, a very simple surgical procedure. I just had to let you know because the way I describe things from here on in you'd think he’d had open heart surgery.
The big day arrived and for all my calm, laid back 'I’m cool with this', I became a complete bundle of nervous crazy brrrrrp ding.
The 4 year old went off to school and I had 2 hours to kill before we needed to set off. I washed, I ironed, I tidied, I folded things … most out of character. I kept looking at my oblivious boy and was hit by a huge wave of love and thinking he was just so handsome. At one point I had to pick up ‘Bikini Barbie’ and get her to slap me about the face whilst telling me to get a grip.
When we got to the hospital he went off to play in the playroom which was very well stocked with toys and children of all ages with various body parts bandaged.
In preparation we had talked about the operation, even read a book all about it (most nights at the 3 year olds request) but I really don’t think there was any comprehension. He simply obsessed about riding on a bed with wheels.
Time ticked by so slowly. We had visits from a nurse, a Dr and the anaesthesiologist who all asked the same questions and then tagged the 3 year old with an array of wrist and ankle bands. The 3 year old just looked at them each as if they were speaking Japanese, unaware of their significance.
At 2pm the nurse came and told us it was time to go to theatre. Only one parent was allowed with him whilst he was being put to sleep. I offered to toss a coin, but husband graciously let me go. As we walked out of the ward the 3 year old skipped ahead in his half mast jimjams with Lulu clenched between his teeth like a dog.
When we got into the theatre he lay on a bed looking at the strange men who had visited his bed earlier. They tried to cajole some conversation out of him at which point seeing all the medical paraphernalia I got tense and went into ‘cracking jokes’ overdrive.
I was told to chat to the 3 year old whilst they went about knocking him out. The nurse behind me must have sensed my mild terror and resorted to blowing up a rubber glove to distract him … and me.
In a matter of seconds they had the needle in without a flinch from the 3 year old, I on the other hand was rigid … but still holding my ‘everything is fine, I look like I've had botox’ smile. His eyes rolled back in his head and he was asleep, instantly snoring, clutching Lulu. I kissed him and left with tears pricking my eyes.
The nurse told me to go back to the ward, have something to eat then come back down in 30 minutes and wait in the corridor outside theatre for him.
25 minutes after swallowing a sandwich whole I was pacing the corridor outside theatre. After a further 20 minutes I was starting to worry. The door suddenly opened and a bed rolled out with a child on it, not my child. The nurse with the child asked if I was Mrs D and said my boy was already back on the ward. My eyes pricked again; I wasn’t there for him.
The next 10 minutes was a comedy of errors as I tried to get back to the ward. The staircases were blocked off due to maintenance work so I had to use a lift which went to every floor but mine ending in me being trapped at the back when it did get to my floor by wheelchair bound grannies on a day out who wanted to discuss with me the finer points of the canteen. I had to use everything I had not to shout 'I don't give a f*ck about the f*cking canteen, GET OUT OF MY WAY'.
When I got to the ward I could hear the wailing. My disorientated, groggy boy was beside himself. My husband was trying to comfort him. I sat and rocked him for what felt like an hour until he stopped crying. Apparently they had brought him up in another lift, totally bypassing me waiting for him in the corridor. He had cried all the way up. I was angry, but contained myself.
When he’d calmed down he ate 4 slices of toast, drank a huge beaker of juice and thankfully wasn’t sick on me. Result! After 30 minutes he was up and leaping around the ward in a slightly hyper fashion.
We were allowed to go home 2 hours after his operation and he slept all the way home.
The following morning I was woken by him getting into bed with me.
3 year old - What’s that noise Mummy?
Me – The birds tweeting in the trees.
3 year old – What’s that noise Mummy?
Me – The radiators filling with water.
Things I take for granted that he hadn’t been able to hear before.
In the 2 weeks since we have noticed a vast improvement in his hearing, speech and his balance.
He still falls over but not as often!
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15 comments:
Great post. It's such a worrying time when your child is in hospital and you know there's nothing you can do. And how wonderful to be able to hear all the things we take for granted. That's a real uplifting thought.
CJ xx
Oh, my... what a trauma. Nice time of year to start hearing things afresh, though.
Poor you! Is that why hubby's lighting fires? ;-) Great outcome though and a brilliant post too! xx
Wonderful news and well worth going through that horrible day for.
I'm glad everything went well for you apart from the little issues along the way! It will be wonderful for your little one to hear all these different sounds
amy x
I'm so pleased it went well - other than them delivering him whilst you weren't there. :-( How marvellous that he noticed straight away all the new noises - he'll come on in leaps and bounds now, I'm sure.
You must be so relieved it's all over. x
What idiots, not to fetch you straight away. At least it's all right in the end though.
It's when you suddenly realise what a child sees as normal for himself that is shocking. My mother felt dreadful when she found out quite how bad my sister's eyesight was, and when I had an inner ear infection and felt terribly sick and dizzy, described it to my son and he said sympathetically "I know just what you mean, that's how I feel when I'm carsick." I'd no idea, I thought he just felt sick.
The part about the bypassing you in the hall with another lift would have left me angry for weeks!
But the part about him asking what each noise was is just so touching. How sweet!
What a drama. My daughter had an MRI when she was 6 months old, and the stress was almost unbearable. It's always agony when they need to go to hospital. Very pleased to hear all is ok (get it - hear!)x
We were possibly going to have to have tubes put in our little guys tear ducts when he was around a year old. I think mothers who's children have to have ANY surgery are free to be as freaked out as they want. I can't imagine having to chase my son down either after a surgery. You poor thing! And your son! But how awesome that he can hear such little noises now. I'm glad it was a successful surgery.
My now 4 year old was amazed by all the sounds when he had the surgery. Mostly he found the house TOO FLIPPING LOUD! With 4 kids it tends to be.
And I didn't know that was the sound of the radiators filling with water. I know what sound you're talking about but I never knew what it was exactly. It comes from not having grown up with radiators and never asking that question as a kid.
It sounds very traumatic, but glad he's OK. And lovely that he's discovering all these new sounds.
wow, I really felt for you on that one - but to hear so well afterwards, result!
I'm so chuffed he's able to hear properly now...I bet you were exhausted after it all.
GG
I am SO with you on this one. My son had grommets fitted aged 4. 1st time for an op, in hospital, it's surprisingly emotional isn't it? We had our son poring over a map of Legoland when he keeled over, just as you described. But when he came round, the miracle of modern medicine was quite astonsihing. he went from being deaf to hearing perfectly in 1 30 min op. He had had 2 hearign aids, a 'deaf support' teacher in class with him. We had go tused to livign with a diminiutive granny in our house, repeating everything, facing him when we spoke etc. teh only downside is he durign that time pre-op became an absolute dab hand at lip reading......
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