We were considered an outpatient surgery and were told to arrive at 12:30. I packed a bag anyway knowing that Adeline would most likely have an oxygen requirement after being vented for the procedure. By the way, the procedure was putting stints in her tear ducts so that her eyes will tear and drain normally.
Adeline was all smiles when we arrived. They were a bit ahead of schedule which caused us to have Alex, Savannah and Lila Grace wait around instead of heading back home (they drove the girl and I down to the hospital because Savannah wanted to go). Adeline was dressed in hospital attire and playing on her stretcher in no time. After meeting with the wonderful Anesthesiologist (who adored her and her name), my fears were put at bay. He was aware of her history and chronic lung disease/BPD. However, he said that she was most likely clear of her lung disease which is still hard for me to believe even though it is most likely true. He planned for her to come off of the O's quickly after surgery and go home like all the average kids would do in this situation. I was still skeptical but enjoyed lumping her into the population of "average/typical" kids during our conversation.
Because Adeline is so warm and friendly with strangers, there was no need to administer the nasal spray to make her "loopy." I handed her off to the anesthesiologist to carry into the OR (which was welcomed with open arms and obviously rarely done) instead of wheeling her in, groggy and out of sorts. She gave me a big smile and snuggled into her new found friend. The last words I heard as I was walking out of pre-op was, "You really are the sweetest baby aren't you?" It warmed my heart as I knew she was in good hands.
The family hung out in the waiting room and an hour or so later the doc was out telling us everything went well. Because it was the end of the day, they let the whole family sit at the bedside while waiting for Miss Belle to wake up. Seeing her brought back the NICU because her face was puffy and smooshed up due to the ventilator mask and tube that they had yet to pull. Finally, she came to and we were on our way home knowing that we have the equipment at home if for some reason she can't stay saturated.
Oddly enough, Adeline was in great spirits. The nurse mentioned that eye procedures produce the most cranky kids. She told us to expect Adeline to rub, itch and tug at her eyes. She did none of that. In fact, she got home and stood up to walk across the room with no encouragement time and time again. She was even clapping her hands to her favorite music. It was as if she wasn't under general anesthesia few short hours before.
Her sats look good and I expect that she will wake up in the morning as if nothing happened. All three of our girls were troopers today as it was long for everyone. Miss Belle continues to prove me wrong and, for today, was lumped into the "normal kids" group requiring no extra care or attention.
All smiles
Giving her Bunny loves
Lila Grace trying to decide what she thinks about her sister going under the knife
Savannah telling Lila stories while they wait
Looking like she is back in the NICU
Home and happy
