JaCee's surgery Day!

It started at 430am when we had to get up & get ready for the hospital. We had to be to Shriner's hospital at 6am for check-in. By 6:15am this is what JaCee looked like.

We had some fun, silly & tender moments before they came in to take us up to the pre-op room. I did good until that point. We sat in a small room with another girl who was getting prepared for surgery as well. A nurse came to talk to us & gave me a syringe of medicine to feed to JaCee -- it was calming medicine they said to take her anxiety away. (I wish they had a syringe of that stuff for me as well.) A variety of Dr.'s, nurses & anaesthesiologist stopped by to talk to us. Just to give you an idea of the condition I was in...one of the Dr's handed me a BOX of Kleenex...not one or two, he brought me the whole box.

A final nurse came in about 750am & took JaCee from my arms. She was so "loopy" from the drugs she didn't realize what was going on, she went right to the nurse.

Both grandparents came for the surgery, so we all went to get something to eat & then to the waiting room. The nurse called the waiting room to tell us right when the surgery started & about 30 minutes later the Dr showed up to the waiting room & said we're all done.




Here is a picture of what her thumbs looked like when they were done. There is only about a 3-5mm incision.

After her surgery was over & she was waking up was the worst part of the day. She cried & cried so hard. The Dr's & nurses explained to us, it wasn't from pain, it's part of children's recovery process. They don't understand what just happened to them or how they are feeling is so new to them, they just cry & cry. Matt & I took turns holding her, she would just lay in our arms crying - crying -crying. I will be honest & say as soon as the Dr's left I said do your hands hurt. It's hard to imagine that she would cry for so long & so hard & not be in any pain, but she would say No if I asked if her thumbs hurt. So that was good...

After she stopped crying, she drank some juice, and then fell asleep. Hard! Poor thing! When she woke up she hit the floor running, asking for Candy and asking to get dressed in her normal clothes.

Shriner's hospital is a class act operation, I will say that. I was beyond impressed whit the entire process. They understand that you are dealing with parent's most precious gifts & that the parents need almost as much attention & re-assurance as the little patients do.

I'm glad it's all over. Now we get to try to keep the wraps on both of her hands, hands clean & out of the water for a few weeks. Much luck to us! -=)