Andrew's surgery

Andrew had his surgery on Monday.

We had to be at the hospital at 9 am. mapquest said it is 55 miles away, 110 minutes. This hospital is 15 miles from NYC, so be somewhere close to the city at 9 am, rush hour traffic. We decided to leave at 7:15. We got there at 8:15. Whoops!
They admitted us to the hospital but we had to wait around until we were scheduled to be admitted to pre-op. over an hour, borrrring. Plus, Andy and I were both starving, but not allowed to eat and certainly wouldn't do so in front of Andrew.

While we were waiting, Andrew was reclining in my lap, and apparently peed a week's worth of pee. I think it went up to his butt cause he was laying back, and leaked right on out, through his pants onto my pants! Gross! I haven't had pee or poop on me in forever! And I wasn't planning to for another 6ish weeks! Rude, yanno?

We get taken back around 9:30, and he had his temp taken, blood pressure, all that boring stuff, and we were sent to the playroom until they were ready for us. I think it was 11:15 when Andrew was obviously starting to get bored with the few toys they had (I expected a lot more at a children's hospital), so I took him back to his bed and we pulled out a few of the 800 activities we'd brought.

A little after this, the nurse brought him his gown and sleepy medicine to make him mellow. And a spacesuit for Andy. After about 5-10 minutes, the anesthesiologist comes to talk to us, and Andrew is acting nuts and horrible. Like, his worst behavior ever times 20. Which is funny, because I take sleep meds, like tylenol PM and it makes me want to go running and very not tired. And I don't run, and I like to sleep! Then that Dr. left, and his assistant came back by to take Andrew away, and when she was verifying it was him and asking questions, Andrew goes totally drunk! Andy was sitting next to him, touching him, and he asks "Where Daddy go?" "where da chair go?" And other weird stuff. Then he could barely sit up. It was so funny. Much better than naughty.

At 11:50 they let Andy carry him back, and just wheeled his bed away. Andy said that they let him keep holding him while they covered his face with the mask. We had been warned that most kids start to go under and freak out and cry and scream. Andrew started giggling like a fool. Hehe. After he was out, Andy put him down and they kicked him out. We had been told it would be about 90 minutes from that point.

We went and grabbed lunch at the Au Bon Pain they have there, then Andy ran to the car and got the gift we'd gotten him and Andy's computer. We sat in the main lobby trying to connect to the internet, but you had to sign up for access to the network, then after they gave you a conf code, call the front desk to be granted the access. It was just a few too many steps for us to find it worthwhile :)

We went back to the surgery waiting room at 12:50. I pulled out my book, and I think read two paragraphs when I hear someone's cell phone buzzing. it was SO LOUD, and sounded like it was right behind me. I started to get annoyed and look around to see who the hell was ignoring their phone, but there wasn't even anyone sitting around me. Then a nurse sticks her head out the door and yells Hoyt? Up we pop, gather our things and head over. Nurse: Did we give you a buzzer [like the one you get at a restaurant]? Yes. Nurse: Is it going off? Oh, um, yeah, it is. Here in my pocket. Thankfully, all of these nurses were super nice, and I am obviously super pregnant, and they just laughed at me being an idiot! I swear I just wasn't ready for us to be called yet at all, not on my mind. I thought we had another half hour.

We were taken to a room by the dr. He repaired the right hydrocele and a hernia. He says he always had the hernia, but I swear he never said that when we met before! He had been complaining a lot when I had to wipe poop from his balls and penis lately, so maybe he wasn't being a brat and it did hurt. The left side was fine and closed up. No crazy playing until the post-op appt. No bike riding, playground, running like a wild man. Ha. haha. We can avoid the ride-on toys and playground, but no running? hell no! Also, no bath until Friday. And its gotten warm again, this could get nasty!

Anyway, after talking to the dr we were taken back to see him. He was just coming out of it, and flipping and flopping, freaking out. As soon as I touched him, he calmed down. I climbed in the bed, and held him for about 40 min while he slept. Then I had to move him, I was too uncomfortable, and he woke up for good. He was really whiny, but we asked if he wanted to watch Cars, and he was good after that :) He was still groggy, but he started to act alert and talk. We offered him crackers and apple juice and he devoured them.

We were discharged a bit before 3. We had to stop in the main lobby to look at the Dory fish for five minutes then were on our way. Andrew fell asleep about halfway home. We stopped to drop off his prescriptions and were home by 4. So. we waited 3 hours to be taken to surgery, and were home within 4 hours of that... Stupid wasted waiting.

Andrew woke up when we got home, and we let him watch Finding Nemo. After an hour or so, he decided it was time to get up and play on the floor with his new trucks. He ate a good supper, and went to bed just fine.

Yesterday, he was back to his old self. Running around the house, asking to ride his bike, being bratty, wanting peenka butter sandwiches, etc.

I am letting PBS stay on all morning, and being lazy myself, so he kind of hangs out with me. We'll play cars and trains, build, and just go for a walk to get mail. he totally wants to go play outside and ride his bike though! I think he is feeling fine. Every now and then he jumps to hard or stretches, and then barely winces and puts his hand to his incision, but otherwise is good.