Landon's Surgery

It's over. He is well. He is happy, we are home and it is over. Friends and family have said, "Surgery is always harder on the parents." I believe that. Waiting for the surgery day and then waiting for him to be back in my arms was so hard.

Sweet boy and Surgery Bear waiting for surgery.

We drove to Missoula early Wednesday morning for Landon's pre-op appointment with his surgeon. At 6:20 am the following morning we were checking in to Community Hospital. We spent an hour sitting with Landon on the hospital bed while the nurses got things in order. He was so calm and happy. He loved playing with his ankle name tags and the pulse-ox cord. Landon's anesthesiologist and our friend, Cristi came and explained how she would get him to sleep and how she would keep him comfortable and safe. A few minutes before 7:30 Landon was given "happy juice". The medicine made him very loopy and droopy. He didn't mind when the nurse took him out my arms. I handed Landon his blankey, kissed his cheek and told him that I loved him.  It was so hard watching him walk out of the room in the arms of a stranger. I buried myself into Dylan's shoulder and cried. 

Dylan and I waited with our mothers in the waiting room. Addison was with Papa. After about an hour and 10 minutes Landon's surgeon came in with a big smile. The surgery went well. Originally we thought he had a hernia on both sides. He ended up having a hernia only on his left side. He had to have incisions on both sides however just to be sure! 

They brought us right into the anesthesia recovery room to be with him. He was agitated and screaming. He was arching his back and crying. I laid in the bed next to him and comforted him the best I could. Eventually he fell into a deep sleep. He stayed calm and slept for over an hour. He finally woke up and again was crying, agitated and arching his back. Once he started to get his bearings he calmed down and drank some water and ate applesauce. Shortly after that we left the hospital.

It was a fast, easy process. I am thankful for that. We were told to expect his nerve blocks to wear off sometime in the middle of the night. We were told to expect Landon to be in some pain and to give him Tylenol every four hours for 48 straight hours. He slept from Missoula to Choteau and from the moment we took him out of the car he never once acted like anything had even happened. He slept soundly the first night. I, however, woke up many times checking on him and listening for him. I was expecting a sleepless night. He never acted in pain or even slightly uncomfortable. He never needed Tylenol. We were told that we did not need to limit his activity. They said he would self-regulate depending on how he felt. The very next morning after his surgery he was climbing the stairs, crawling every where to follow Addi and playing outside. He was only upset when I wouldn't let him climb up the stairs and when I would not let him get into the tub with big sister. 

Auntie Em said, "Nothing short of a bullet wound will slow that kid down!" So true. He is a tough little man.

Sound asleep right after surgery.

Sister was so worried about him. Waiting for him to wake up.