I'd like a side of fries with that tonsilloadenoidectomy.

We reported to St. Vincent NE at 9 a.m. this morning with a nervous but excited 7 year old.  We had tried to play up the tonsil and adenoid removal as a surgery where you sleep and have a sore throat but then get all the ice cream and popsicles you want, as well as presents if you're brave.  I think he didn't hear the sore throat part because he's been looking forward to this for a while now.  In an effort to prepare him a bit more realistically, I tried emphasizing that it was a really really bad sore throat that made swallowing really hard.  The doctor also explained how he probably wouldn't want to eat, but the more cold stuff he ate, the better he'd feel.  I think Blake still only heard the words "popsicles" and "presents".

He loved wearing his scrubs.  This was as fun as Halloween!



The doctor and nurses were great.  They hauled him away a little after 10 and Jason and I waited in his room until he came back.  The hardest part of waiting was listening to other kids come back to their rooms following surgery. I wish we'd had soundproof rooms since there was a constant sound of crying and screaming from various other children.

It was only about 20 minutes before the doctor came back and said he was done and there were no complications.  The tonsils and adenoids were large but not alarmingly big.  And then he apologized for the hellish week we were about to have since he would have a horrific sore throat for at least a week.  For 2 weeks he is to limit his physical activity: No running, no wind instruments, no swimming.  NO SWIMMING!  That will be the hardest part for Blake, who's become quite the little fish.

When he came back to us a little while later, he was tearful from his throat pain and disoriented from the anesthesia.  He had been given pain meds in his IV and so it wasn't long before he calmed.  And only minutes after that was asking for popsicles.  The nurses were thrilled when he wanted one and a bit surprised when he asked for a second.  Five popsicles and two cups of ice chips later, they were amazed.  Even though he had no diet limitations other than no "sharp" foods like potato chips, they didn't want the popsicles to upset his stomach since he'd had anesthesia.  They asked him to take a break when he asked for his 6th.  They said he also may have set some sort of record.

We stayed at the hospital for 2 more hours to be monitored.  Blake said his throat didn't hurt that bad and spent the time watching tv and playing his ds.

When it was time to go home, the nurse asked him if he wanted to walk, take a wagon, or a wheelchair.  Blake was thrilled to go in a wheelchair and asked if he could wheel it himself.  It was a slow process but he rolled himself all the way to the car. 

When the doctor had mentioned to us the absence of food restrictions, he literally said, "If Blake wants to have a hamburger on his way home from here, that's fine.  Of course we all laughed knowing that no child in his right mind would want such a thing.  So you can imagine our surprise when Paula, who along with my mom were watching Nick and Alexis, offered to grab McDonald's for me and Blake asked for a nugget Happy Meal.  He ate the whole darn thing and then finished off my lunch. 

We were a little worried that his lunch may...er....return.  But it didn't.  For the rest of the day it was just more popsicles and some gifts.  He is doing amazingly well.  We realize that this may be the calm before the storm and that it's going to be a tough week.  But we're proud of our little trooper.  Must be because he's part pirate.

Blake and his big brother.