Having been a patient way too many times to count, and a stubborn one at that, it’s a struggle watching my baby be the patient knowing how much they are like me. I know that I have a tendency to do more than I should, take less pain medicine than I should, and refuse help more than I should. I felt certain that the same would be true for Squirrel. I was right.
Tuesday morning we arrived at the hospital at 9:00 for the 11:00 surgery. Squirrel showed their anxiety by getting irritated at everything while their dad and I sat calmly waiting for time to pass. We’re used to the waiting. Squirrel is not. Add to that the fact that the surgeon was running a bit behind, and the agitation level was high.
When the time finally came for the anesthesiologist to give the sleepy-time meds in the IV, we asked Squirrel if they were feeling it yet. They said they didn’t know. But when their dad said one of his corny jokes and got a laugh, we knew the drugs were kicking in.
We were told the surgery would last approximately an hour and a half. It was lunch time and we hadn’t had food, so we checked out the cafeteria, but didn’t see anything we particularly wanted. My husband decided to walk to a nearby coffee shop. He asked me if I wanted to go and I immediately replied, “I’m not leaving this building until Squirrel does.” He went alone, bringing back sugary drinks and savory treats.
Not long after, I got a text saying that the surgery was over. It had been less than an hour. I sent messages to all of the friends and family that asked for updates, wondering if the speed of the surgery was a good sign or not. When the surgeon came out to talk to us he said that everything looked beautiful and the plica was the only thing he needed to do anything about. My husband said something about his to-the-point demeanor and I had to tell him that it was exactly how this doctor always is. He’s kind, efficient, and wastes no time with small talk. But he’s good at what he does, so I’ll take it.
We were taken back to see Squirrel not long after. They were sitting in a recliner, groggy but awake. They sipped on juice and nibbled on crackers while we waited for discharge. We were able to leave by 1:30, even with the late start to the surgery!
Squirrel slept a good portion of the day, thanks to the residual drugs in their system. However, the night was a different story. They woke several times in pain and finally chose to sleep in the recliner in the living room around 3:30 AM and texted me asking for pain meds. I got them meds and ice, let their dog outside, and then laid down on the couch to wait for the dog.
I had worried that Squirrel would refuse the pain meds, given how resistant they are to taking tylenol, but so far they’ve been counting down the minutes to when they can get another dose. Due to that fact, I was surprised when Squirrel said they wanted to go to Bible study last night. I was torn. I know that I cannot protect them from everything and that they need to learn their own limits. But all I kept thinking about was the time that I asked to go to Fuddruckers the day I was released from the hospital three days after heart surgery and I fell asleep waiting for my burger. I’m aware that heart surgery and knee surgery are different, but I worried that Squirrel was going to do too much and be in more pain the next day as a result. I let them go (Monkey drove, of course) and said that if they wanted to leave early, I would be willing to come get them so Monkey could stay.
Wouldn’t you know, they stayed the whole two hours and looked at me like I was crazy when I asked how they were feeling when they got home. They took their pain meds as right before getting in bed and I didn’t hear anything from them until I got up in the morning. Squirrel was in the recliner, looking rested. I asked how they slept and was told that they woke up once, but otherwise slept well. I asked if they had taken medicine yet and they had not! I asked if they wanted some and they thought for a second, then said yes and asked for the ice packs too.
The rest of this morning has been quiet. Squirrel went back to their room earlier and only came out to have me put the ice packs back in the freezer. They are moving much easier already. I realize that the younger someone is, the faster they heal, but I’m amazed at the progress and relieved that they aren’t in more pain. We have to leave the hip-to-ankle bandages on until Saturday, but it will be interesting to see how swollen and bruised their legs will be.
I have a book fair to attend as a vendor tomorrow evening and I was feeling nervous about being gone. At this point, I think it will be fine.
What will I learn from this experience? Probably not much. I mean, I know I had more anxiety than was warranted, but I don’t think that will go away if either kiddo needs surgery again. I think in this case, it’s just a mom thing. Moms worry about their kids. It’s our job. And no matter how many times we’re proven wrong, we will keep right on worrying. But at least I recognize that they need to learn for themselves and I can’t put them in a bubble just because I’m worried. I know my mom felt the same with me all the time. She let me go, though. Because that’s part of our job too.
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