I'm Home!

What a long week (or half a week)! My surgery was on Monday, and I slept in that morning, so I actually did really well going all morning without eating. But the day was still crazy! The doctor's office called Mommy that morning and said they were moving my surgery up 1 1/2 hours. So Mommy and Daddy ran around packing and getting things ready while I tore my bedroom apart. We were waiting for Papa to arrive, and then we were going to take two cars (Mommy's and Daddy's) since we knew we'd be staying the night. Daddy is loading stuff in Mommy's car and he realizes that the metal threads are showing on her tires. We knew she needed new tires, but we didn't know it had gotten that bad! So now we have to take Papa's car. Since we weren't planning on taking Papa's car, he didn't have the car seat. Daddy had to hurry and install the one from Mommy's car, but a spring broke in the carseat arm and it split Daddy's finger open. We quickly put the car seat from Daddy's truck in, and then had to bangage up Daddy's finger. Finally we were on our way...it was 9:50, and we were supposed to be there at 10. Obviously, that was impossible!

While we were waiting in the pre-op area, we talked to all the nurses and anesthesiologists who would be taking care of me. They told Mommy that I could not have the medicine that relaxes me before they take me away, because now I have sleep apnea. Even though I'd had the loopy meds before and I've always had the apnea...but now it's documented. I was being so silly though, that Dr. Cotter came in and said "Did they give her the loopy medicine?" Nope, that was just me!

My surgery went pretty well. Dr. Cotter took out my adenoids and shaved down my tonsils. She replaced my ear tubes with a set that should last close to a year (instead of 4 months). She looked inside my airway with a camera, and guess what she found? An accessory bronchus, which is a lung anomalie that can be common but cannot be fixed. It makes you more prone to coughs and pneumonia (Hello! I've had it three times in two years!)

Less than an hour after surgery, I saw the Elmo balloon that everyone had hidden from me so I could rest. I had barely even opened my eyes yet, but I wanted that balloon! And then I didn't let go for hours. Literally. Even when I was sleeping. And I held on to it for over 12 hours yesterday. Even when Shamu came to visit me in the hospital! I finally got tired of the bed rest, and started trying to stand up, which was not easy because my leg was taped up with an IV. But I did it!

Surgery recovery has been rougher than most of my other surgeries, but I'm doing well. I stayed in the hospital until last night, then I finally got to come home (without oxygen!) to rest. The hospital stay was about as good as a hospital stay can be, which was rotten! They didn't come in the the hospital room all night, so Mommy laid there thinking, "Why are we here?" She was so tired the next morning, and sat down to eat some breakfast, and THEN that's when everyone decided to come in and out of the room. Nurses, doctors, residents...and they all said I couldn't go home yet. Mommy was so exhausted, she called Daddy crying because it was just too much! Daddy called Papa, and ta da! Papa came to rescue us! Mommy was fine by the time he got there, she had just had a frustrating morning. Why did we have to stay if no one was even checking on me?! But once she had some company, she could eat her food and go to the bathroom finally! And as the day went on, I felt better too. I tried to take a nap, but every time I started to drift off, I remembered I wanted to play. One time, Papa was watching me "sleep" in my bed, and I popped my head up, pulled up on the side of the crib, and jumped into his arms with a big smile! We pretty much sat in the room all day, and finally the doctor said if my O2 level could stay above 90 without oxygen for the rest of the day, then I could go home. Success!

So now I am home and happy, and I ate food this morning for the first time since Sunday. I have really stinky breath, and you can smell it from a few feet away! Seriously! I am still a little irritable, but I am getting better and better each day. I even felt up to rocking on my horse today (probably not considered bed rest). It felt good to take a warm bath and get my hair washed and brushed. Clean clothes and my own home...I'll be back to new in no time!