Saturday, March 23, 2013

Surgery

Wow, we are home, rested and reeling.

You know when you plan in your head how things will go AND THEn, that is not really reality.

Cav was scheduled first thing in the morning - to avoid any food deprivement issues and he did great.

We had a fabulous nurse who I had already talked to about Cav's story.  I knew we were at that particular surgery center to meet that particular nurse because God needed us to be.  I hope someday to find out how HE has used our sons journey!

We took Cav in his PJ's so we didn't have to deal with the legs issue - daddy carried him in and we left the legs in the car LOL!





That's where the fun began, cuz a double amputee having surgery on both hands leaves . . . yeah doesn't leave a place to secure his ID band!  Finally, I told her his short leg still has the condyles and that she should be able to put the band on there.  Placing an IV left even fewer choices LOL!  I knew they had a rough time when I saw him in recovery and the IV was in his neck.


We took pictures of his hands,
talked to a thousand people (my husband who usually doesn't do surgery wondered if they thought the answers were going to change LOL!)

and then took him back to the OR.  
THis is where we saw the fight in him that helped him survive the orphanage.  SO heartbreaking, but the anesthesiologist was incredible and compassionate.  I quickly whispered to him that his soul has worth and that he was loved.

Recovery - well that was heartbreaking.  We kept telling him he had a family and that we loved him.
But he was panicked and we couldn't figure out why.

Then my super bright husband realized it wasn't his fingers he was worried about - it was his legs.
After we showed him his legs were the same as when he went in he calmed.

The kid required enough pain medication to kill and elephant.  They weren't going to let him leave. 
I finally said - look he is coherent, and awake.  I pulled out my nurse card as we still had to drive through Denver and didn't want to get caught in Friday rush hour traffic.




As we were leaving everyone kept mentioning how we were going to meet the storm.  I was more worried about someone barfing in my car.

Then I got home and it clicked.  My Aunt still needed to drive back home to catch a Tues flight to see their brand new grand baby.

It took an hour to pack her up, gas the car and send her on her way.  We were sad to see her leave but thrilled that she would beat the storm!  Please keep her in your prayers as she drives the rest of the way today!



And in typical  Cav fashion - he figured out how to feed himself.  I was crushed to realize that he didn't wake me or Brahm (we switched him into BRahm's room so he could come get me if Cav cried out) but went downstairs to sleep on the couch.  I pray he will learn to accept our help through his month in casts - although he is already more independent than i had thought!

4 comments :

  1. I'm so glad the surgery went well and you had such a great team. :) Now onto the healing for both heart and hands.

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  2. Happy the surgery went well. Glad you were able to make it home and get your aunt out the door.

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  3. He's such a fighter. I know that's good and bad. We have a couple of kids like that too. Maybe this will force him to accept some help. Either way, you'll get there Yvette, I know you will. I'm glad surgery went well.

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  4. Yvette, did Cav have the surgery that Isabel will have next week? Centralization surgery? I was told she will have casts from her fingertips to her armpits and on both her arms! Yikes! Also, I was told that she has to sleep in splints (once the casts come off) every night until she's 17! Isabel will be spending one night in the hospital. Any helpful hints and/or words of wisdom to share as we prepare for the surgery and recovery?

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