For as long as I can remember Avery has snored when she sleeps. Even as a little baby she has always breathed loudly and snored when she slept. Her voice has always had a nasal tone to it and she is my kid that can sleep anywhere anytime and sleeps like a rock. She has also always been our crazy position sleeper that will be sideways, upside down or diagonal in her bed at night. Then about a year ago some things started changing, Deke and I at night would find her out on the couch sleeping sitting up. Four to five nights a week she would leave her bed and couch sleep sitting up. At first we assumed that she was maybe sleepwalking. So we would put her to bed and a hour or so later find her out there again fast asleep sitting up. Since she started Kindergarten she has fallen asleep four or five times on the bus and often would fall asleep at the table trying to do her homework. It was like she was constantly exhausted. Not at all like her since she is my go go go kid. Then she started choking and gasping for air when she was sleeping and would wake up scared and crying. We took her to the pediatrician who diagnosed her with sleep apnea and then sent us to the ENT for a better look at what was happening. After seeing two ENT's it was confirmed that she had enlarged adnoids and was going to need to have both her tonsils and adnoids taken out :( The night before the surgery we took her out as a family and bought her some new Hello Kitty pajamas and princess socks. We bought her three or four different kinds of popsicles, jellos and yogurts. The day came and with Hunter and Emma at friends houses Deke and I headed to the surgery center with her. She brought her pink Hippo which is the first stuffed animal Deke and I bought for her before she was born. The nurses were so great and put a hospital bracelet on hippo as well. We dressed her in her hospital gown and all of a sudden she looked so small to me.
I'll admit that I was pretty nervous, I know that it is a pretty routine surgery but we have been through a lot with our kids and common surgery or not that is one of my babies. She was nervous to and pretty quiet just taking everything in. She insisted that I take a picture of those crazy dogs on the wall for Hunter and Emma to see.
Then the nurse came and told her it was time to go. Ave looked over at us and panicked. A wave of realization went over me. Deke and I had explained everything to her about the surgery and the recovery and how she would go to sleep etc. etc. I thought we had covered everything. How had we forgotten to tell her that we wouldn't be able to walk back there with her?!?! Duh Mom.
Of course then she started crying, "I don't want to get my tonsils out, I just want to leave them in" she told us as we calmed her down. Deke carried her as the nurse who was really great explained to Ave that we were headed to a place called the "No Mommy's and Daddy's line" where only special doctors and nurses and kids could go. She told her that we couldn't cross the line but that she could give us a hug and see us soon. As soon as we reached the unit doors the nurse hit a button and the doors came open revealing a red painted line across the floor. "See it Avery, there it is" she leaned down and told her. Avery who was not thrilled about the exsistence of this line was still whimpering. Deke put her down and we both hugged her. She took the nurses hand and still crying crossed the line and waved bye to us. I waited until she rounded the corner and then tears sprung up. About a half hour later they brought us back to recovery and wheeled her in like a tiny little bundle with an IV pole and warming blankets. The nurse kept going on and on about how good she had been and how sweet she was. She said that usually when kids come out of anethesia they are not sure where they are and sometimes kick or fight or start screaming and crying. She said that Avery opened her eyes and looked around at everyone and made absolutely no reaction other than two little tears came running from her eyes. When they wheeled her in she was still out of it but we could see the small tear stained stream on her cheeks from those little tears. Ohhhh my baby.
For two hours we waited in recovery with her and she would occasionally open her eyes and a couple tears would fall and then she would doze back to sleep. They then let us take her home and we loaded her up in the van. We decided to stop and get her a smoothie to help cool her throat but she couldn't even keep her eyes open.
The anesthesia medicine nauseated her and she threw up a couple of time which if you can only imagine after throat surgery was very painful. The first few days of recovery with her were really rough she was so sore. She kept crying and looking at me saying "Mom, it hurts" and then more tears. She would tell me again and look at me as if waiting for me. "Deke she wants me to fix it, you know make it better." "I'm the mom that is what I do, I make it better, I fix it." Yet I couldn't. She kept telling me how it hurt and I felt so helpless. I was doing everything I could for her yet I couldn't "fix it" she was going to have to endure. It made me reflect on so many time thus far in my parenting that I have had to watch my children hurt and feel pain and couldn't take it away from them. This may be the most painful part of being a parent since when your child is hurting and you can't stop it the pain you feel can be unbearble. I don't know if you ever love anything the way you love your children. Needless to say two weeks have passed and other than a small complaint here and there about recieving an applesauce cup in her lunch instead of cool ranch Doritos she is doing great. No more snoring, back to normal energy, she can breathe at night. Good job kiddo, we love you.
For as long as I can remember Avery has snored when she sleeps. Even as a little baby she has always breathed loudly and snored when she slept. Her voice has always had a nasal tone to it and she is my kid that can sleep anywhere anytime and sleeps like a rock. She has also always been our crazy position sleeper that will be sideways, upside down or diagonal in her bed at night. Then about a year ago some things started changing, Deke and I at night would find her out on the couch sleeping sitting up. Four to five nights a week she would leave her bed and couch sleep sitting up. At first we assumed that she was maybe sleepwalking. So we would put her to bed and a hour or so later find her out there again fast asleep sitting up. Since she started Kindergarten she has fallen asleep four or five times on the bus and often would fall asleep at the table trying to do her homework. It was like she was constantly exhausted. Not at all like her since she is my go go go kid. Then she started choking and gasping for air when she was sleeping and would wake up scared and crying. We took her to the pediatrician who diagnosed her with sleep apnea and then sent us to the ENT for a better look at what was happening. After seeing two ENT's it was confirmed that she had enlarged adnoids and was going to need to have both her tonsils and adnoids taken out :( The night before the surgery we took her out as a family and bought her some new Hello Kitty pajamas and princess socks. We bought her three or four different kinds of popsicles, jellos and yogurts. The day came and with Hunter and Emma at friends houses Deke and I headed to the surgery center with her. She brought her pink Hippo which is the first stuffed animal Deke and I bought for her before she was born. The nurses were so great and put a hospital bracelet on hippo as well. We dressed her in her hospital gown and all of a sudden she looked so small to me. 
2 comments:
Aww Avery. You're such a brave little girl. Couldn't read this one without crying.
Our son Lee had the same operation. He snored so loud you could hear him a block away. I guess we don't need our tonsils or adenoids. Glad Avery is feeling better.
Post a Comment