Last
year, both of my sons E and M had to go in for different surgeries.
Both were ear-related. E received a cochlear implant while M just had
ear tubes and an adenoidectomy. The former surgery was more intense and
serious than the latter, but both made me equally nervous. Since I know
firsthand how nerve-wracking it is to see your child go “under the
knife,” I wanted to write a post to help other parents who are worried
about putting their kids through surgery.
My son E had already gone through ear
tube surgery when he was about 2 ½. That experience helped my husband
and I create a plan for future surgeries. We realized which of us can
truly handle being in the OR with him for the anesthesia. (Me.)
Thankfully, that surgery went smoothly for him, even if not for us!
Since the cochlear implant surgery he had earlier this year was more
serious, we were on edge while waiting for him to be delivered to the
recovery room. We had been warned about a meningitis risk right before
the surgery, so that added to our anxiety. While we waited, we talked to
another woman whose son had the same surgery done by the same ENT. She
raved about how he was the best in the country and that helped us feel
more at ease. After E came out of the surgery, the first day was shaky
for everyone. He was in pain and the antibiotics didn’t sit right with
him, causing him to vomit a few times. He was fine by the next day and
thereafter. Of course, removing the bandage and cleaning the wound
wasn’t much fun for either him or me.
After surviving E’s big surgery, M’s minor surgery seemed like it
should have been much easier. However, we were still quite nervous about
his adenoidectomy since E had never had an operation before. Other
parents have reassured us that it was a good surgery to receive and that
it would help him in the long run. I had read about the risks, which
worried me initially. The surgical center we went to was really nice and
kid-friendly. They even had a book with pictures of a stuffed monkey
that children could look at so that they wouldn’t be scared. M could
have cared less about the book, though. The only difficult moment was
preparing for him to be put out. He wasn’t allowed to eat or drink that
morning and was really upset about being hungry. He also was not a fan
of the gas mask that was used to put him under. Luckily, his surgery was
successful and he had an easier time coming out of it than we
expected.
With both surgeries, I was the one in the OR with the boys before
they were put under. I was relieved that they received local anesthesia
first and then had an IV put in after they were asleep when I had
already left the room. I couldn’t bear to watch the doctors put an IV
needle in either of my boys, whether they were awake or asleep. Also,
they both received popsicles after their surgeries, which they were
thrilled about.
If your child has to have surgery, either major or minor, be sure to do the following:
1. Talk to other families who have gone through the same surgery, especially with the same doctor.
2. Know the risks but don’t obsess over them. Just follow the
precautionary measures that the doctor recommends and don’t be afraid
to call the doctor for anything that seems out of the ordinary to you.
3. Prepare your children in an age-appropriate manner — not
to scare them, but to let them know what’s happening so they’re not
completely surprised. This is not a trip to the amusement park!
4. Know which parent can handle seeing their kid get put
under anesthesia without passing out themselves. That parent should be
the one who goes in every time.
5. Give your children lots of TLC and time to recover afterward. And keep popsicles nearby!
Melissa A. and her husband have 2 young sons, E and M, and a
new baby daughter. Melissa’s son E has hearing loss and wears a
cochlear implant. Melissa works as an administrative assistant for a
non-profit and also runs a bullying prevention group and a
book-related fan group, in addition to blogging for Empowering Parents. You can check out Melissa’s personal blog here.
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