Successful Surgery

Sophie's surgery went as planned and was a success.

We got to Penn State - Milton Hershey Hospital at 6 AM and filled out forms and went from waiting area to waiting area until we got to the pre-op area. Here they gave Sophie a Valium-like medicine to loosen her up for anesthesia and surgery prep. It was a bit comical to see her get a bit "stoned" and she giggled and smiled a lot. When we passed her off to the doctors and kissed her goodbye it was about 730 AM. This was a bit easier then I had imagined because she was in such a happy mood.

Then we waited. Jack kept us occupied at first, but he eventually became a nuisance as he was breaking out of makeshift cages that we made in the waiting area out of chairs, tables and strollers. He also seemed to learn to run away from us today as he would giggle and swiftly crawl away from us.

We finally got the call from the doctor around 12 (we were expecting to hear by 10-1030, so we had started pacing). He said that everything went as planned and that they snipped, sowed and reattached ureters on both sides and she should be okay after this...

We waited till about 1 until we could go to a recovery area. Here Sophie was still asleep, sucking on her Lovie (pink bunny with the ears that Sophie always chews on). The doctor was giving a report on the phone to another doctor and I overheard, "She woke up shortly after the operation and was still groggy, but she started to cry and get upset, but then she put this pink bunny ear in her mouth and she seemed to use it as a pacifier. She was fine then and she went to sleep."

She began to open her eyes as they carted her to the children's ward. In our room at the children's ward, Amy and I consoled her while Jack kept making a go at pulling on her catheter.

She is pretty immobile, I think it is painful to move (they did cut through muscle on her abdomen). She has an IV on her arm and as I mention is still hooked up to a catheter. Her voice is very hoarse and I believe her throat hurts a lot from having a breathing tube in during surgery. She spits out any and all fluids. It is heart wrenching to hear her weak, hoarse attempt to cry. She is very groggy and only started to become more alert around 5 PM. She was still dozing in and out at about 6PM.

Both sets of grandparents came from about 4PM to 530PM.

Since Jack was pretty set on being difficult, we decided that I would go home with him (the original plan was to all stay at the hospital). This was a pretty tough decision because we have never even attempted to put Jack to bed without nursing him first. And have not ever attempted waking him in the morning without immediately nursing him.

I left the hospital at about 615 PM with Jack. We got home at about 650PM and he was asleep in his crib by 7PM.

The doctor is not 100% sure if Sophie will be coming home tomorrow. We will keep you posted.