Thursday, March 18, 2010

Nate the Great - and other pictures!

This was surgery #2 attempt. We mangaged to find a train table for Nate to play at. Gotta love the striped hospital pj's!



Birthday lunch for Don at Earl's, right next to our hotel.
Surgery day, the real deal. We've already done the waiting and now we are up next to the surgical theatre getting ready to bring Nate in.




The Stollery has a very unique protocol of bringing children into the OR. Instead of the hand-off from parent to nurse who brings the child in, a parent is able to gown up and actually goes right into the surgical suite and holds the child in their lap until as the anesthetist administers the IV or gas, depending on the situation, until they are asleep, and then the team takes the child from your arms and places them right on the table. Definitely the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. To make matters worse, Nate was fine in the above picture (I most definitely was not) before I gowned up, but while I was getting dressed, he was in Don's arms and was not watching as I was transformed into a 'green capped hosptial person', for whom he had no desire to be with. It was really hard because in those final moments while walking into the OR with him I couldn't comfort him, he didn't think I was his mommy and that I had left, and just kept calling out for daddy. So hard.





This was at 12:47pm, about being in ICU for about an hour. Don and I and my parents were in a family waiting area right across from the ICU doors, right where they wheel in patients from the OR. When they were bringing Nate in, they stopped just for a moment before going in so we could quickly go look. I remember feeling overwhelmed at how many people it took to bring Nate's bed in, as they were all taking care of different pieces of eqiupment on board.











Hey, Auntie Kathy and Auntie Janice....how do you like my stats?
I know, we're working on them!



24 hours post-op, extubated the previous day, after about 2 hours in ICU.




48 hours post-op - trying hard to distract him and keep him content.





Grandpa & Nate





Check out my badge of honor!




Lots of bumps along the way, but Elmo is trying his best to keep him happy!




Nate's been a bit more upset today, not sure if some of the soreness is getting to him, or if he is just sick of having lines, bandages, oxygen prongs up his nose and paraphenlia on so many parts of him. He's a trooper and definitely my little hero!









10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tearing up for you guys. May God keep holding your right hand, reminding you He is there for all of it and will uphold you all.

Isaiah 41:13
marilyn

Heather said...

Thanks for the continued updates. The pictures are so sweet and so heart-wrenching. They make me cry. Still praying for you all! May you feel wrapped up in Jesus' tender embrace.

CK said...

Wow, those pictures brought back memories. :( Still praying for you guys!!

kristin said...

Thanks for posting pictures Carole. They look all too familiar. Glad to hear Nate's doing okay. Praying for quick healing.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys,
Thanks so much for the frequent detailed updates & the pictures! Glad to hear things are going well! Your little Nate is such a sweetheart - just want to give him a BIG hug! A real trooper!!
Hope you're able to come home real soon! Continuing to pray!!
Bonnie K.

Bonnie said...

Thanks so much for the pictures!!! Its great to see where you are at. Nate does have a badge of honor, courage and hope!! I hope he wears it proudly because there are lots of prayers and so much love sewn into it too!

Anonymous said...

Wow- what a trooper is right! And his parents too. May you be lifted up today!

Anonymous said...

Your son is a handsome little man!!! Hope he gets better soon :) We are still praying for you Nate!!! Kelli & Louis

Anonymous said...

I shouldn't have opened up your blog at work. It's hard to keep emotions in check when I see my little nephew tied up to most of the equipment I deal with at work. He's a mini version of one of my patients but oh so much sweeter. And everything is so little...little nasal prongs for Oxygen, little incision line, little stitch from a big 'ole chest tube.

Now, to me his BP is a bit on the low side and the fact that his heart rate is a tad high - I would conclude that he's a bit dehydrated. Am I right? Considering all the fasting he's done - it's no wonder. If his vitals are this related to his heart function i can see why they wanted to add Dopamine.

Anyway, back to being an auntie who works with big people because it's too hard to see little people suffer. Thanks for showing us what your world has been for the last couple of weeks. Nate is truly great. I'll continue to uphold you guys and Nate in prayer.

Janice

Anonymous said...

Thanks Carole for giving us a glimps into your last week....progress is being made, so hang in there sis.
If my adult patient had that bp I would be lowereing his head and pumping in some serious fluids...but that's for a dialysis pt. What is it at now? Better with the dopamine? The heart rhythm looked pretty regular and stable, except for one little blerb that I could see...that's good so fresh after post op. What heart rate did they want to see?
Looks like your in a great place, and the ICU equipment around him looked very organized....a clue that his care providers are top notch. Only the best for Nate!
love K5