Teddy Bear (and turtle) clinic

We got to go to the Teddy Bear Clinic again. We went to the first one 2 years ago, and missed the one last year when the kids were sick. They were very disappointed and have been talking about the Teddy Bear clinic.

Since it is at my work. I'll put a plug in for Rouge Valley Health System.

The teddy bear clinic is held annually at Rouge Valley (this is the 3rd year) for children to learn and interact with routine medical procedures as their teddy bears get checked out.

First Elsa bear and Raph got signed in and we wrote out their arm bands

Measurements and weight were taken

And some vital signs.
Temperature and blood pressure, and Nick listened to his heart

They had some toys to help to breathe and use muscles.
After surgery it's important to take big breaths. And Child Life Specialists (like Alex who put the whole clinic on) have fun ways to help breathe and distract from pain.
When Nick had his surgery in August, I talked with Alex about some resources she had to help with the recovery.

We learned about taking blood and started an IV on Raph as well

Then it was time to learn about surgery. Nick was not very interested in the surgery table. Been there done that, I guess.

Nick dressed his Turtle up in the funny hat and mask that Mommy got to wear.

We practiced giving medicine to Raph

We also did some testing. Looking at what a CT scanner is like.

And looked at some cool pictures of the brain.
I talked to Nick about the ventricles in the picture and what his were.

They also got to put on a cast, and play with the casting material.

We also did some testing. Looking at what a CT scanner is like.

And looked at some cool pictures of the brain.
I talked to Nick about the ventricles in the picture and what his were.

There was a local photographer taking pictures for the Scarborough Mirror. He took some pictures of Nick at the CT pictures, and Katheryn at the surgery table.

Kyle said that the clinic was very unlucky for the bears. They went in for just a check-up and left with surgery and casts and IVs and had CT scans done.

Until next year!

We are outta here!

We had a good night.

A really good night. Nick is obviously feeling better, and you can tell from this picture, because he is on his side, not just lying in a single position on his back.

We had some smiles first thing in the morning after the doctors rounded.

The dressing came off and we got to see what the belly button looked like. The glue and  blood was all mixed up and looked black. There was no red blood, no signs of infection, no pain (other than the tape coming off)

Nick was having a bit of pain and had just some advil, his pain went from his chest to his belly. We did some moving in the bed, and some 'gas movement' and the pain went away. We haven't had any poop yet, but gas is a good start.

Then it was time to get on his feet!
We were going to go out to the playroom in his walker, but ran into a little problem

Nick finished his juice and then that IV was good to come out! He was nervous at first and kept taking his hand away, but stopped paying attention when I was reading him a book and he didn't even notice.
And then we were good for a playroom visit. I wasn't sure how much stamina Nick would have with the walker, considering he hadn't walked anywhere since Monday.
But he showed me and he was off and running... literally. I had to tell him to slow down.

In the video that we had watched had talked about the playroom, so did the shunt book that we read. So Nick was very excited to go and visit the playroom.

They had a craft table that Nick want to do.
So we did a tissue craft. Nick did not do the intended craft, but he had a lot of fun making his own craft!

The nurse practitioner came to give me all of our instructions while Nick stayed in the play room. She reviewed the package she gave me, flushes, things to be concerned about and follow up. She also went through a presentation she gives to the nurses about the MACE
She answered all of my questions about volume of flushes (building up, starting at 10-20mL per flush and up to 360mL), leaving the foley in place (2-3 weeks), activity (as tolerated, no lifting), baths (yes), swimming (not until follow-up in 2 weeks). I have a package with all the stuff together. Also we qualify for some extra funding for ostomy supplies.

After this, we got ready to head out. Packing all of our bags, I gave Nick a bed-bath (he couldn't figure out why I was washing him in bed!. Then he got dressed. All of this activity and working over a couple of hours and how was Nick's pain?

After some lunch it was time for mommy to get to work and do the first flush.
This is the end that is hanging from Nick's belly. There is a little end and a big end. The little end is to inflate/deflate the balloon at the end of the catheter that is sitting in the colon. It is taped to Nick's belly so it doesn't pull.

And then for the flush, it is just 20 mL. I did it myself, no problem.
Afterwards Nick played with the syringe. No cramping, no pain. Everything was awesome.

Then it was time for me to do some trips to the car (while Nick took 300 pictures of his hospital room with my camera phone that I left with him).
And we are outta here!

Waiting for Kyle to get off work and pick us up, so we got as far as the playroom. But we are officially discharged.

I have absolutely no concerns about Nick being ready to go home. I can't even imagine staying for a longer time. Nick is just blowing me away with his recovery!

Visitors

Nickolas had some visitors today.

We got him into a wheelchair and he was good to go. His IV was disconnected so it was just the saline lock. We got him into his Ninja Turtle PJ's and he was ready to leave his room.

He wasn't even shy about being the centre of attention.

He had been waiting for these visitors for weeks. Jennifer and Taylor, Emma and Mason, Katheryn and Zivah. Even Zivah's dad was there (working).

We went down to look at the water and try to eat. And throw money into the fountain.

Nick didn't eat anything, but he had fun.
Didn't get sore, didn't get tired.
The ultimate distraction!

Katheryn missed her brother as well, and Nick missed his sister.
She kept sneaking him kisses

After about an hour we went back up to the room and said good-bye.
Kyle and Katheryn stayed for a bit longer.

Katheryn read a story to Nick, and then they had to go home too.

Nick said he didn't have much pain (we've been doing small, medium and large to measure pain, using distance... like with thumb/finger and big like arms outstretched).

He wasn't very happy that Katheryn was going home and he wasn't.
But after some more Tylenol and a freezy, and a promise that I was staying with him and we should go home tomorrow and he was a little better.

I had, had a lot of concerns about being discharged so quickly. But really, seeing how great he has done through the day. I think that if we didn't have all the bleeding last night, and were able to do the out-of-bed part of the day through the night and didn't have all the pain, we would have been good to go.

But with the bleeding and poking at his belly, and pain that was last night and this morning... Even his cath volumes and appetite weren't that great until about 7pm tonight.

I am glad we are staying the extra day.

And there is lots of teaching to still do. I don't even know how to care for the MACE yet!

Surgery Day

Today was the day we had been waiting for.
The day started at 4am and we were on the road at 5am to be at the hospital for 6 (and surgery at 8).
Considering that neither kid were go to sleep last night Nick was wide awake before the sun was even up.

We were as prepared as we could possibly be. And you could tell. Everything happened like we had discussed and thought it would.
Registration and arm band, waiting room with toys, seeing the nurse and having blood pressure and heart listened to. Of course Nick had his one cough of the day during this time. But all was good.

There wasn't a lot of time before we were ready to head into another room and talk with all of our doctors and nurses. Nick loved the space to be able to run around in his walker. (this picture is blurry because he wouldn't stay still)

You can tell that Nick wasn't worried or scared, he acted like he was a pro. The surgeon (Dr Lorenzo) came and talked to us. This was the first time Kyle had met him. He talked about what he would be doing, as well as what might happen if the appendix wasn't usable. It was a little bit worrisome that we went in for something that they couldn't guarantee they could do until they were already in.

We talked to anesthesia who said that I could go in with him, and that Nick wanted bubble gum smell in his face mask.
A Child Life Specialist also came by with some blocks and a doll that nick could colour (he did it orange and green like Michaelangelo).

When it was time to go in, Nick went in a wheelchair. He was talking and laughing and just really ready to go. He was helped on the table, we got to see all of the cool big lights, and the stickers and wires that we had coloured in his book.
Then it was time for the mask, he fell asleep holding his Tyrone.

Then it was back to the waiting room. They said about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
My friend Lisa came to be with us. I wasn't sure that we would need her, but it was such a great thing. The three of us all sat and talked and distracted each other. If it had just been Kyle and me, Kyle would have probably slept and I would have read my book... and thought and worried... and time would have passed very slow.

After 3 hours Dr Lorenzo came to talk to us in the waiting room. Everything had gone well, just like it was supposed to. He was able to do it laproscopically. About 30 minutes after that they called us into the recovery room. Nick was awake, but had been having some pain, they just gave him morphine before we got there. Nick also got Tylenol and Ketoralac (like an IV advil drug) in the operating room as well.

Nick wanted Kyle to stay, so I went up to our room and unloaded all of our bags.
I packed for a coupel of days stay, they said it might just be an overnight stay. But we'll see how everything is.

When Nick came into his room he has been really tired.

I had his Austin toy all ready for him.
And a new blanket with ninja turtles on it.

He wasn't that sure about the IV and kept asking why he had it. It doesn't hurt him, it just isn't usual for him to have a tube in his hand.

I took a picture of how his belly looks like now. I really wanted to know about drains and incisions and what to expect, so I've been taking pictures of some of the things to expect, for those who come afterwards.
The 2 bandaids are from the laproscope, and the tape with the gauze is over the belly button with the blue catheter in it.

Nick has been sleeping most of the afternoon, when he is awake he says that his belly hasn't been hurting.
And about 3 hours after being in his room Nick was awake and alert enough to give us a thumbs up. And he has wanted to watch his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shows.

Most of the time he's been sleeping, but Kyle and I are enjoying the new Nickolodeon Ninja Turtles. While Nick is drifting in and out.

The plan for today and tonight is to keep him comfortable, and once he is more alert to get him up and moving. Also eating and drinking. The IV will stay in, with IV antibiotics until tonight. His temperature has gone up a little bit (not unexpected), so we are keeping a watch on that.

I'm staying overnight with Nick, and Kyle will be heading home to be with Katheryn.
Katheryn has been good, having fun with grandma (Thanks gramdma).

I'll update more as we go, but this is our immediate post-op period.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive and thinking and pryaing for us. Thanks to Terri at work who loaned me her keyboard so I could actually blog, and Lisa for knowing that I needed someone to come and be with us (even though I didn't know it myself).And Melissa, Saraha-Lynn and Kitty who called to see how things were.
Thanks to everyone!
We are receiving all of the good-healing vibes!