Saturday, August 14, 2010

May 26th and 27th - pre surgery and day of surgery

Wednesday May 26, 2010 5:06am, we depart from home to Palo Alto. It was a long drive with August asking tons of questions about where and why we were going far from home. He was a trouper from start to finish.
We arrived at 12:30 in the afternoon. August had a pre-op appointment with Dr. Roberson at 2:50 so we checked in to our hotel and took a little nap. At 2:50 we checked in for the doctor appointment. He first had a hearing test to see what the inner ear was up to on the Atresia side. August has always been told that his cochlear worked. We have never known if his small ear bones and middle ear were in tact. This test basically told us what we had already knew but it was needed prior to surgery. We were just happy that it was not bad news and his inner ear had not lost functionality. We then met with Dr. Roberson to go over all surgery procedures and what to expect, etc. August was a bit nervous. He didn't want to do the hearing test at first. He gave us a bit of trouble but with a little M&M persuasion we finally got the test completed. The doctor promised him he would not feel any shots so he was happy. He asked him, "are you ready for me to fix your ear?" August said, yep! And we were ready to go.

May 27th 6:30am, we were up and off to the hospital for surgery. We check in and wait for about a half hour before the nurse took us back to get prepped. Once we were in the pre-op room, August got nervous and wanted to go home. He told us he didn't want to change his ear and he walked out of the room. "Bye," he said. Anders went out to talk to him and he reluctantly came back but wouldn't let the nurse or anesthesiologist touch him. So they asked if they could give him a little medicine to calm him. We said okay and boy was that a change. He was a totally different kid. We had to film it because we had never seen our son so cooperative and calm. He was very tipsy. The doctor told us it was like he had just drank three margaritas. He was now letting the doctors and nurses do what they needed to get him ready. It was a bit easier for us to see him taken away for surgery. He would not remember anything after taking this medicine. Although, I must have cried for an hour after he left us. I knew he was in good hands but it was still hard to see him leave us. Many people were praying for him as well so that was comforting too. It was a long two and a half hours of waiting but when they called us in to see our little man I was relieved. There he was asleep and looking so well. He was as handsome as ever. He slept for about another hour. When he woke up he was not a happy camper. The anesthesia made him nauseated and grumpy. All he wanted was Mommy. So I held him on my lap and he fell back to sleep for about another hour. Actually we all did, Daddy, August and Me. When we woke up he moved to Daddy's lap and then the doctor came in to tell us how things went.
The surgery was a total success. August had everything he needed to hear at a normal hearing range now that this surgery had been completed. The only thing that was created in surgery was his ear drum. Doctor Roberson said he would never hear perfect but had an incredible chance to hear at normal hearing range. That was the best news we had heard in a long time. He was expected to heal like he should and proceed with the next surgery in August.
We were discharged from the hospital around 1:30. August was a bit slow, tired and nauseated for a few hours but he did very well. We got him some soup but he wasn't interested in eating. It was about 10pm when he decided he was hungry and he requested rice cereal (rice crispy cereal) his favorite. So that is what he got. He was given Tylenol with codeine so he was very groggy. It was taken every 4-6 hours for pain. He slept on and off that first night. It was a long day and night but we all made it.
The photo here was taken the day after surgery. The white gauze like square is stitched on to cover and help heal the skin graph. The graph was used for the hole that was made. It helps keep the bone from trying to completely close the hole that was just created. There is a sponge in the hole. That is the round circle that you see in the hole. All the skin that is left from the "S" shaped ear that was there prior to surgery will be used in surgery to, microtia repair. This surgery they cut the top of the "S" shaped skin and saved it under his skin. You can see a bump just behind the very bottom of the thick skin, somewhat near the ball. That is were the tissue is hidden. It will be taken out and used to make the new ear for August. His body will preserve it until surgery August 31st.