crunchytown: Surgery Day

Yesterday was a stressful day for us, but it is over and done with and we are moving on! It all started at about 5:15 when Dave and I got up and started getting ready. It was nice for Dave to get to sleep in for once. We left the house at about 6 and arrived right before 6:30 at the surgery center. After checking in and agreeing to hand them over our first born if our insurance didn't cover the procedures, we waited to be called back. We went back just before 7. Both girls were weighed and measured-- Lacy was 41 inches tall and just over 31 pounds, and Rose was 35 inches tall and just under 26 pounds. They dosed up Rose with some medicine first to make her loopy. Then we changed the girls into matching hospital gowns. Lacy equated gown with marriage, so she got married and had babies about three times before she got the loopy medicine. She would lay down in a chair and say, "I'm having a birth." On one occasion, she noted that she was having her baby in a pool. Gotta indoctrinate 'em young, I say ;)

After talking to both doctors and both anesthesiologists, I felt fairly comfortable that the girls would be well taken care of. They took Rose back first, and promised to take good care of her. She clung to the nurse as they took her back. Poor baby. I was told that they gas them up and put them to sleep and then insert the IV, which is a policy I really appreciate. They put the IV in Rose's foot.

Lacy went back about a half hour after Rose. They took her back in a red wagon. Dave and I went out to the waiting area to scarf down some food and wait for our kids to be done. At about 9, the dentist came out saying he had saved Rose's front tooth and capped three more besides. Dave went back to be with her in recovery while I waited. While I was waiting, Lacy's doctor came out to tell me that the procedure was successful, and that her adenoids were "huge." She also didn't have much fluid behind her ears, but he put in the tubes anyway. I'm a little annoyed at that part, since I didn't really want her to have tubes in the first place, but I'm saying that it had to have been necessary for her comfort otherwise he wouldn't have done it (I hope no one tries to argue that point with me especially since the surgeon is my bishop and I feel strongly that he wouldn't just do something "just because"). When Rose was transferred to another stage of recovery, I was invited back to join her and Dave (only one parent allowed per patient in the first stage of recovery). I held her close and snuggled the baby up. She looked so good, yet puffy. She was on an IV drip, which was taken out after she drank some juice.

Lacy came out after a while, and boy was she loud about it. We were told that she may come out aggressive, and that certainly proved to be true for her. I honestly think it had something to do with the Vicodin that they gave her, because she only has temper tantrums like that after she takes the Vicodin (because she's fighting it so much). She was kicking and screaming and so unpleasant, but she was very vulnerable and needy so I didn't blame her for having that attitude one bit. Rose was sleepy, so she went to Dave and I held Lacy, who absolutely refused to drink any water or juice, and wouldn't eat a Popsicle. That was one thing she needed to do to be released. We got all the discharge instructions and got permission from the surgeon to leave anyway.

The kids slept a lot on the way home and throughout the day. So much so in fact that Lacy didn't go to sleep last night until 12:30! Part of the problem was that we let her sleep in our bed, as a special treat for her hard day. I forgot how crowded four in a bed is. I'm glad that she's in her own bed tonight!

Even though Dave took the day off work, we still made money by selling some scrap metal to the recycling yard. Almost $70, so not as much as he would have made working, but heck it's something at least. We also resorted to bribes and force to get Lacy to take her medicine. Nice. I hate doing that to her. I'm officially not making her take Vicodin anymore because she hates it so, and it makes her miserable. She's taking Tylenol instead. As long as she doesn't complain about the pain, we're fine, I guess. I'll just dose her up every four hours on Tylenol tomorrow and stop that on Saturday and just give as needed, when she complains of pain. She is speaking with a squeaky voice but is otherwise feeling pretty darned good, and acting relatively normal. She even had a tea party outside this afternoon with her cousin and sister. I blogged about our day on my family's blog, complete with pictures.

I really hope Rose doesn't need the same surgery. And I really hope this stops Lacy's apnea problems. It was truly scary listening to her gasping for breath after not breathing for several seconds at a time. I would have to move her to help her breathe more comfortably, and that was while I was awake. I slept through most of it. I've been told that it is scary after the fact, because you don't know if they're breathing or not!

Anyway, we took a bunch of pictures to remember our big day yesterday!

Drugged Rose, before her costume change