Evan's Surgery

I was so emotional yesterday. I am a generally an emotional person to begin with, you should see me watching exteme home makeover. Oh, I am a wreck!! But yesterday I think I had good reason. I was taking my baby boy to be all cut up!! I have to say though, my kids are healthy with strong bodies and sharp minds. How lucky am I!!! I saw in the halls of primary childrens so many sick kids that it just made my heart bleed. I saw a little boy in a wheel chair who had spinal biffida and a feeding tube in in his nose. I also saw a little girl being wheeled around in a wheel chair looking so ill. She had a mask over her face and big circles under her eyes. In the parents waiting room, I heard an other mother talk on the phone. She was announcing to her family that her little boys mitral heart valve replacement surgery went well. My point is, I am very lucky to have the healthy children that I do have. Evan's opperation is nothing compared to the heartache that all those children and their mother's face every day. Having said that...on to Evan's story

We had to get up so early in the morning. The last bottle he had was 9:00, the night before, and he couldn't have anything the day of the surgery. So poor Evan had to go so long without anything.

One the way to the hopsital, he started sucking his toes!! It was so funny. I have never seen him do it before. I guess since he haddn't had a bottle in 11 hours up to that point, he needed something to stick in his mouth.

When we got there, we had to wait for a little bit to register. While we waited, Chad kept Evan entertained by playing with stickers. It was so cute, and Chad is such a good daddy. I seriously was so emotional all day. And at this point, I was just thinking about the upcoming trama I was leading Evan into. I am so glad that Chad was there. Up until yesterday, I had thought that I was going to be doing all of this alone. When Chad told me that he got work off and he will be there with me, a huge weight lifted off my sholders. I depend on Chad so much. He is my rock and my soft place all in one. He made me feel so secure. I can go on and on about how much I love him and how dependalbe and strong he is for me and our little family. Long story short, I love Chad!


Step one:reginstration! We got all registered. Chad and I got bright pink braclets that identified us as Evan's parents, and Evan got a blue hospital braclet around his ankle. He hated it!

He tried to convice Chad and I to take it off for him. When we did nothing but laugh at his cuteness, he tried to take matters into his own hands and get that peice of uncomfortable plastic off himself.

He tried in vain for only a couple of minutes. Then he moved onto more important matters.

The fish!! My little man loves animals of every kind. He lights up when ever he sees a dog, cat, fish, bird, just about any animal. The fish tank kept him entertained untill they called us back for the pre-op check up. Remember how I said he hates doctors and doctor offices. Well, this is where he started to get a little suspecious and nervous.

Step two,Pre-op check: Poor kid!! Dosen't that look on his sad face just break your heart!?!



Then a nurse came in and did a little pre-op exam. She was very sweet and soft spoken. Evan started to calm down. The staff at Primary Children's is amazing. You can totally tell that they are very use to taking care of little children. They were so good. I hope nobody has to have any kind of operation for there little ones, but if you have to, I strongly suggest that you find a doctor at Primary Children's to do it for you.

Then he had a wardrobe change. Here he is in his cute hospital gown. I think he looks so adorable in it. This is the frount and...

...here it is from the back. We then went to this waiting room to wait for our turn. It was a cute room with lots of toys. But by this time it was 9:30ish and Evan hadn't had anything to eat or drink for a little over 12 hours.


Step three, waiting, and waiting and waiting some more: He was not a happy boy. But, under the circumstances, he was exceeding my expectations!! He was doing pretty good actually. Then we found out that our surgery got pushed back an hour. So instead of 10:30, it was at 11:30. By this time, it was Evan's nap time, and the poor kid was so hungry. But I think it worked to our advantage in a way. He really had no energy to make to much of a fuss. So we wheeled him around in a wagon for a while.


He liked it. I was half hoping that he would drift off to sleep, but he didn't of course. He has a hard time sleeping anywhere but his own bed. And then at this point, it was time!! Dumb-dumb-da-dumb-da-da-dumb-da-da-da-dumb. We walked with the doctor to the doors of the OR. I carred Evan in my arms up untill that point. Then I handed him off and it was so heart breaking for me!! He just stared at me and Chad the whole way and cried with all the muster he could, his arms out streached toward us. It was devistation for him and for me. I knew at that moment that he would forever be scared by my betrayal. (I wasn't thinking about a picture then, but now that all is said and done, I wish I had taken a picture of that moment.) All we had to do was wait. His procedur was actually pretty quick. We only had to wait about 45 min. I was so excited when they said that I could go back and see him.

It was on the sweetest moments I have had with my little boy. He just cuddled into me. I felt so blessed to have him in my arms all safe and sound. After spending the day at Primary Children's Hospital, I also was so overwhelmed with the fact that my children are perfect. Nothing is really wrong with them. I see my children in the eyes of all those sick kids. They are just children, like me own. They want to play and laugh. They get scared and insecure. They are 4 years old and 17 month olds, and every other age inbetween and beyond.

Look at his poor little foot. They put the IV into his foot. And becasue they put little baby narcotics in him and he had all the anastecia, they had to wait for an hour untill we could take him home. We also had to make sure he would be able to drink a sippy cup and not throw it all up. He had to keep something down before they would check us out. So we just kind of hung out and took turns holding him.




He was so sweet. I think I was just so happy that the day was over and he was safe in my arms.



He was just so chill. Then again, it could have been all the demeral and the nerve block that did the trick. And he was such a rockstar! My little man. I am very proud of him. He kept down all of the apple juice and crackers, so after an hour we were able to go home.

We changed him back into his jammies, stoped off at the pharmacy to pick up his hydrocodin and accepamediphin, then we were on our way home. I don't think I could have held myself together that day without Chad by my side. And both of us could not have done any of it if it wern't for my mother-in-law who took Lauren the night before so that we could just consintrate on Evan. And, Debbie, you were right. All Evan remembers is that we were there when he woke up. I am so grateful that my kids are healthy. They are loud, and rambucous. They fight over toys, and bounce off the walls. They hug and love with so much feircness. They are tender and sweet. They give their heart without any reservations. And everyday I thank my Heavenly Father that I have two of the worlds most beautiful babies in creation.