Zac had his surgery on Friday March 18th. We got to the hospital around 7:30 and they started all the prep for surgery. CHOP is amazing and you know you're in good hands but it's nerve wracking for sure. After they changed him in his gown and pants we saw lots of different people. Nurses, anesthesia nurse practitioner, anesthesiologist, family life counselor, plastic surgeon, pretty much everyone I think.
We played a lot until they came in to give him the 'giggle juice'. Medicine that makes it easier to separate from the parents when it's time to go back to surgery. He took that and we continued to play. After a while I was looking at Dave like this medicine has done squat and this is going to suck when they come to take him back. The nurses came to take him and were making small talk with him. He buddy, what do you like to be called 'Zac' or 'Zachary'? Zac's response was 'Bob'. Ok buddy give mommy and daddy kisses we're going to take a train ride. Zac's response, 'I'm not going'. Nurse then said ok buddy you're going to come with us. Zac's response, 'No, I'm not'. Ok.... then he starts to scream and hold on to Dave so tight and he wouldn't let go. They call the anesthesiologist and ask if it's OK to have one of us come back to the OR with him and she says it's OK. Zac says he wants Dave to go back so they bring Dave in an OR jump suit and Dave has to pee really bad but Zac won't let go. So he gets the jump suit on while Zac is clinging to him for his life. The family counselor is now in with us trying to make sure this isn't traumatic for Zac.
Dave walks back to the OR with everyone and he said they got in there and Zac just stared at all of the people in the room. The awesome anesthesiologist let Zac sit on Dave's lap while she gave him the mask to start putting him to sleep. The one nurse started singing Wheels on the Bus and the rest of the room chimed in too. These people rock! He drifted off and Dave was able to put him on the table and then he left.
We waited about 45 minutes and the doctor came out to tell us that all was good. He removed the goose egg and it's what he expected. There was scar tissue and some bone that had started growing that he had to remove.
We got to go back to the recovery room and Zac was still sleeping. After about 45 minutes, the nurse had us start to wake him. He probably would have slept all day there. He woke up in a good mood, no problems at all, they took out his IV's, we got him dressed, he took a drink and he asked to resume playing the game on the ipad where he left off before surgery.
They let us go home soon after that and he jumped out of the car at home and went straight to playing basketball. We had to make him sit still and hang on the couch. He has stitches on the inside and glue on the outside. It's absolutely crazy that he's acting as if nothing happened. He hasn't taken Tylenol and every time I ask if his head hurts he says no and continues on with what he's doing. He woke up with a swollen eye this morning and the doctor said it's going to get black and blue while it's healing.
The kid is a trooper and you can already tell his head is evened out. We've looked at the bump for so long it's hard to imagine his head without it. The only thing I think the surgery did was make him sassier! ;)
I can't say enough good things about our doctors they are awesome and took good care of our dude!
