Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Small post surgery bumps in the road...

Hi everyone,

I am sorry it's been so long since I posted. Last week was full of Dr visits and craziness.
First, Katie and I had an AMAZING time on Tuesday night at The Little Mermaid on Broadway! It was an awesome show and she and I both loved it! The 2 1/2 hours flew by and I would see it over and over and over again! I was so thrilled that her first Broadway experience was so great. She was so funny... sat up in her chair, leaned forward and was all smiles all night! It was so great to get time out just her and I. We definitely don't get enough Mommy & Katie time so that is something I need to really make sure happens more often.
Next, onto Mike! Well, as you all know, we went in on Monday and they said that surgery was needed to relieve the hernias and hydroceles in his scrotum. (I am sure that as Mike gets older and looks back on this blog he is going to be soooo mad at me that I am talking about this!! LOL) So, I waited for the call... and waited... and waited... finally on Wed evening I didn't want to wait anymore so I called the surgery office. They were having a problem getting Mike added to the OR schedule so they told me to come in on Thursday and have Dr. K look at him again to reevaluate and see if there was extra urgency. You know, extra urgency, on top of the fact that there were hernias and that the chemo might possibly affect his blood counts sooner rather than later... I don't know how much more urgent you could get but what do I know, right? So, anyway, we went in on Thursday morning and waited 2 hours to be seen. That morning they had seen a patient that was on the schedule for Friday but was sick so they had to cancel her surgery and we were able to slide into her spot. So, the check turned into a pre-op appt. We got there at 6:45 on Friday morning. After waiting in the PDH for a while we were taken to the OR holding rooms and he was taken in to the OR around 9:45. I hate that walk to the OR with him. That whole handing him over to Drs that I know in my head will take good care of him but my heart just breaks every time I have to hand him over. This was surgery number 5 since September and it doesn't get any easier.
Anyway, after 2 hours (yes, it took an hour in each side) Mike got through surgery beautifully on Friday. Dr. K came in to speak to me and my Dad and said that there most certainly were hernias and hydroceles in both sides of the scrotum. My dad and I went into the recovery room and waited for Mike to wake up. His stats were great and I was glad I went in because I just wanted him to sleep it off himself. The thing I have learned is that he reacts to anesthesia so much better when you let him wake up on his own! So, we let him sleep... and sleep... and sleep!! He slept for at least an hour and 45 minutes after he was brought to the recovery room. Once he woke up he was wheeled into the PDH in the hospital bed... DVD player running right next to him of course! LOL He really did so well after this surgery. He took his pain meds like a champ that night and on Saturday and all looked well.
Until Sunday morning... When Mike woke up and I changed his diaper he was swollen... and I mean swollen. I was so nervous. Dr. K told me to look for redness and swelling as signs of a problem and here I was looking at swelling. At first I thought it was just me so I called my Mom to come down and make sure I wasn't seeing things. I wasn't... so I picked up the phone and called the surgery fellow who told me to come in. Off we went to Mike's first Urgent Care visit. We weren't there too long... only about 4 hours and we were sent home with instructions to call on Monday. So, I did... and then back we went to Sloan on Monday! Thankfully the consensus is that all is ok and it looks like it's just post-op fluid retention.
They ran his blood counts yesterday too. They came back good. This week is the week that we have to start watching them b/c of the new chemo. If he acts more lethargic or more irritable then I have to bring him back later this week, otherwise I can bring him in on Monday. I am praying and keeping my fingers crossed for a good week and just the one trip in... we have been in there at least 2 or 3 times a week since the beginning of December.
Anyway, this was yet another long one! I'm sorry for that... I'll try to update more often so that the posts aren't as long!
Thank you for the continued prayers and good wishes! Please keep them coming!!

Love,
Chrissie

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

so glad katie liked the show - and you too! a welcome distraction im sure...
girl you are such an inspiration to all of us, moms and not yet moms. i hope you know we are all pulling for you, praying for you, hoping with you, and although removed from it worrying and going through your emotions with you. i love you and the fam so much. i wish i could snap my fingers and take it ALL (*wink*) away. just know that i'm here to be a shoulder to cry on, lean on, bitch on LOL...and when you're done with that one, move to the other one! hang in there: cocktails are a-plenty and there WILL BE a light at the end of this tunnel! (not an FHA-carol-ann reference, just pure irony LOL)
love you lots,
consider yourself hugged,
me