Let's Get Those Tonsils Out!!!

Friday, May 24th, we left the house at 7:30 am, dropped JD off at school (it was his Field Day!) and headed to the surgery center off Stone Oak and 1604. We needed to be there by 9am for registration and his surgery was scheduled for 11am. Ryan wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything, and we didn't want to eat in front of him, so Bud and I didn't eat either. We were all starving!! But our nerves from the anticipation helped with that for a little while.

Dad and Ryan, on our way into the hospital to get Ryan checked in.

After we checked him in, with his "bracelet" on.

Me and Ryan, showing off our "bracelets."

Mom and Ryan

Right about 9am, they called us back to the surgery triage area, we changed Ryan into his gown, then sat and waited. We were in there for abuot 2 hours or so, waiting for his turn to go into the OR. We were so pleased with how well Ryan handled it all. He knew he was going back for surgery and he didn't see all that scared. He had questions and every once in a while, grabbed onto me and hugged tight, like he was scared or nervous, but he didn't cry once. He handled it all like such a big boy.

 

Dad is putting Ryan's gown on him.

At one point, Dr. Moe and the anesthesiologist came by to talk to us about the surgery and Ryan asked if his tonsils will ever grow back. Dr. Moe chuckled a little and told him that was a good question for a little 4 year old, but that no, they wouldn't ever grow back. Ryan was satisfied with that answer.

Then about 1/2 hour before they took him back to prep him for the surgery, the nurse came by and gave him a little cup of "happy juice" to help him relax before the operation. He took it pretty well, but said it tasted really yucky. The nurse agreed. She said they try to flavor it with grape, but it's pretty bitter.

Here we are, trying to kill some time and keep a 4 year old entertained for two hours in a 5' x 8' space.

So after two hours of waiting, it was finally Ryan's turn. The  nurses came to his bed and told him it was time to go. I fully expected him to be scared, start crying and cling to me, but in typical Ryan form, he was such a strong little guy and faced his fear. He gave me lots of kisses and hugs, then went quietly with the nurse. I, of course, was the one crying. I did everything I could hold back my tears so he wouldn't see because I knew that if he saw me cry, he'd think there was something to be worried about and he'd start crying. So, I held it together, and off he went.

Since Bud and I hadn't eaten anything and knew it would be hours before we had another chance, we took advantage of the next 30 minutes. Bud made a quick run to Wendy's and when he got back, I ate 1/2 of my burger as quickly as I could out in the car. As soon as I got back in the waiting room, I wasn't there 2 minutes before Dr. Moe came out to tell us the news. Ryan did great! He handled the surgery well, tolerated the anesthesia like a pro, was in recovery, and it would be about 15 minutes until we could go back and see him. I waited impatiently for those 15 minutes until the nurse finally came to get me. Only mom could go back at first, then dad came later.

As soon as I got back there, this is what I saw:

He was sleeping so peacefully. His arm still had the IV in it and was wrapped with medical gauze to keep him from messing with it or pulling it out.

 When he did wake up, he looked like this. So calm. I asked him how he felt and he said in a really gravelly voice: "good." He was really groggy but tried so hard to stay awake. I think he was uncomfortable being there in that bed by himself and didn't want to fall asleep in case we weren't there when he woke up. When they offered him a popsicle, he accepted and ate the entire orange-flavored popsicle. He also drank a cup of apple juice and a cup of water, and wanted more. Poor little guy was so hungry from not eating all day, and by this time, it was about 2:00pm. We were finally discharged at 3pm and the nurse warned us that he might throw up on the ride home, especially after eating so much. I was so nervous about that, but I was prepared with a bucket. As soon as we got in the car, he put his head on my shoulder and crashed out. We stopped for his medicine and had to wait almost an hour for it, then drive almost an hour to get home. So he had a two hour nap in the car and when he woke up, he was feeling much better and was ready to eat again.

When we got inside, he ate two cups of applesauce, then an entire bowl of Top Ramen soup (aka Daddy's Soup), and was still hungry. So I made him two scrambled eggs and he finished that too. He never did get sick and we could tell that the worst was behind us!

Ryan -- you took this surgery like a champ. I had my tonsils out when I was 17 and it was one of my worst experiences. I hated every minute of the recovery, starting from the moment I woke up after the surgery was over. I was so nervous for you, but you handled it so much better than I could have ever imagined. YOU ARE MY HERO!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Blood Work for Ryan's 1st Surgery

It's been almost 4 weeks since Ryan had his first surgery, so I guess now would be a good time to write about it. After almost a year of debating and putting this surgery off, we finally took that leap on Friday, May 24th. We scheduled it after baseball season ended to make sure he could make it to his last game so he could celebrate with his team, and get his first trophy!

We were originally scheduled to do his surgery last October when Dr. Moe (the best Pediatric ENT in the city) made the recommendation. He said that his tonsils are so big that it's restricting his breathing, especially at night when the throat relaxes. He snores, pauses in breathing, and never really can get a restful night's sleep. Without restful sleep, it can cause fatigue, lack of focus, and eventually it can be hard on the heart. But Bud and I kinda chickened out. We had a 2nd opinion and that doctor said "nah, he doesn't really need it yet. His tonsils are big but as long as you do it before he's 11, it's fine." He told us what we wanted to hear, so we canceled the surgery. After listening to his terrible snoring again, hearing him pause in his breathing during sleep, we finally decided to just do it. In the long run, it's best for Ryan. So we went back to Dr. Moe and scheduled the appointment for May 24th.

We had to do the blood work the week before his surgery. That was a bit traumatic for Ryan. I hadn't really told Ryan where we were going or why so he was fine at first. . . until we got into the lab and he saw "the chair." I still didn't tell him but he knew something was going to happen. We sat down, him on my lap, the lab tech took his arm and said "Ok, we're just gonna stick a little needle in your arm. . . " and that's all he needed to know. He started freaking out. They had to bring in another tech to help hold him down. Once they started, it didn't take long and he was fine afterwards. As a reward, we headed to Shipley's Donuts to have a little treat, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

The following Monday, I got a call from Dr. Moe's office telling me that Ryan's blood work came back abnormal and I needed to go do the blood work again. So I picked up Ryan and headed back to the lab. He recognized the place when we got there and I told him we needed to do another test. He looked at me and said "I'm gonna be tough this time." And he totally was. Not a tear. Not even a flinch. He did so great. And we headed to Dunkin Donuts for a snack.

The results came in later that afternoon, and they were again, abnormal. So we made an appointment with a hematologist to have his blood looked at more closely. Needless to say, I was a complete nervous wreck. I had no idea what to expect, but of course, I was planning for the worst and hoping for the best. I was asking everyone I knew to pray for him.

The hematologist appointment went great. They drew blood again but this time, they put "magic cream" on first to numb it, so he didn't feel the needle at all. And once again, he handled it like a pro! The doctor said he wasn't too worried about the test results (by the way, the only result that was "abnormal" had to do with the way his blood clots), he was more interested in his medical history and our family history. So he asked a ton of questions about bleeding, heart problems, bruising, nose bleeds, etc. We really don't have any family history no either side, so when I left there, I felt like it was gonna be ok. And it was! Our prayers were answered by the next morning when the doctor said his results were fine and cleared him for surgery the next day.

What JD is Going to Miss Most about 1st Grade

When I asked JD what he would miss most about 1st Grade, he said "Mrs. Tarr." She told me that she overheard him telling his friends on the last day of school that he wasn't going to the 2nd Grade, that he's staying in 1st Grade. When they asked him why, he said because he's staying with Mrs. Tarr. The other kids liked that idea too and soon, Mrs. Tarr had a few returning kids next year. Haha!! She had to reaffirm for them that they were, in fact, moving on to the 2nd Grade without her. :(

I'll be honest, me and Daddy really liked Mrs. Tarr too. She was so great with you.

Last Day of School

JD's last day of school was June 6th. I went to his Awards Ceremony in the morning then took him home for the day. I had to work a 1/2 day so they played with Caleb next door while I worked for a few hours, then we went in town for haircuts and a few other quick errands.

They woke up to a special donut breakfast and a small gift - they both got watches. JD can now tell time on a watch with hands and he really wanted a watch, and Ryan is learning to tell time on a digital clock. So we got them new watches as a last day of school gift.

I'm so proud of JD's 1st grade year. He was awesome!!! When they called his name at the end of the year awards ceremony, here's what preceeded it: "A-Honor Roll for the 4th 9 Weeks, Perfect Attendance for the 4th 9 Weeks, A-Honor Roll All Year, Outstanding Attendance All Year, Computer Award and 2nd Place AR Winner.......JD Blair!" He got almost every award he could get. And his necklace was adorned with 20 "Caught Being Good" charms, which he accumulated throughout the year by doing good things.

**By the way - AR stands for Accelerated Reader. After they read a book, they take a comprehension test on the computer and they accumulate points based on the # of books they read, the book's level of difficulty, and his comprehension level. This is the 2nd year he's received an AR Award. He's also gotten to attend the Principal's Reception in the Spring and Fall in Kinder and 1st Grade for AR Testing. I could go on and on about him. We are just so proud.

Here's a picture of him and Dusty. Dusty got 1st place in AR Testing, and they're best buddies in class. There's nothing like having a good friend to push you to be your best. Thanks Dusty!

Ryan's last day of preschool was Thursday, May 23rd. That was his last day because he had surgery the next day and since he needed about 3 weeks to recover and JD would be out of school by then, we just made the 23rd his last day. (More about his surgery in a separate post.)

Ryan has learned so much this year by going to Mrs. Brown's Preschool. He learned to write his name really well, he's learned to recognize and write his letters, he knows some basic addition, and he's learned so many great manners. I'm very proud of him and while I used to be nervous about him starting Kinder at such a young age (just barely 5 years old when he starts), I'm not anymore. I think he's definitely ready! Kingergarten --- here he comes!!!

I know his card says he wants to be a basketball player when he grows up. That's what he said that morning when I asked him (after he said he wanted to be a baseball player and a scuba diver), but any other time I've asked him as of lately, he has said "PHLEBOTEMIST." I guess it has to do with how many times he had blood drawn before his surgery.

So Much Going On

OMG! So much has been going on since JD's green stick break over 2 months ago. I've been so terrible about keeping my blog updated. Life is busy.....JD & Ryan, you'll understand one day when you have kiddos of your own. With school, church, Awana, sports, work, and all the other things (big and little) that life requires of us, my blog, while definitely on my mind, was the last thing I could get to each day. Now that Summer Break has officially started, I hope to do a better job of keeping up with this. Some people may think that it's unnecessary and something I could easily just "x" off my "To Do" list, but I think it's totally necessary. Because, hopefully, one day my boys will be able to go back and read all about their childhood, as viewed through their mother's eyes. That's why I scrapbook too. So much happens in our daily lives, some things that we'll remember very well, and some things not so well, and other things not at all. I really want to remember them all, and with my memory, it's best if I capture it somewhere. So JD & Ryan - I hope that one day you appreciate this blog and my scrapbooks --- it's all for you!!!  I love you boys more than words or scrapbooks or blogs could ever say.