Friday, October 3, 2008

Tehya's Dental Procedure

Before

After


Well we are back. Thank God, been a long day. Her appointment was at 7:30, but we had to be there to check in no later than 6:30, so we left home at 5 in the morning.


That medical building was something else. So the waiting area was huge. Had it's cafeteria and lunchroom. They had computers hooked up to the Internet, a couple hooked up to game consoles. The had a quiet room with a weird wall of running water for people who wanted to sit in quiet and/or read. They gave us a beeper type thing when we walked in, it made a noise and vibrated whenever they were ready for us and again when we could go back to see Tehya. The had TV's, large fish tanks in the walls, a nice play area. Very roomy. Oh and a really cool thing they had was these TV's placed throughout the room the kept track of the patients progress, so we could look at this screen and actually know where Tehya was and what her progress was.

We get called in, Tehya is in hysterics already. I expected this from her cause it happens every well check-up. She wanted to nurse REAL bad but I couldn't let her, she was fasting.
They had cable in the rooms, lol, so I turned on one to a cartoon and she fine for awhile watching that. Then seems she was scared, clingy and nervous they decided to give her a drug that made her relaxed and "loopy" so that when they they did the gas to put her to sleep it wouldn't be as bad.



The drug they gave her to calm her made her silly. She giggled and cheered up real quick. To me that was different because I'm used to tears and screams at the doctors from her.


Only one of could go back with her when they put her to sleep, so I decided I was the one to go. I just couldn't not go, I knew that would be worse for me. At this point she was like a newborn. She was like dead weight in my arms, I had to support her head and all. She was awake but slowly fading off to la la land. She was still smiley though. I walked down like 4 long halls, Tehya was probably wondering who I was because I had a gown and cap on.

We get to the OR and I reluctantly lay her on the bed. I figured she'd cry and never thought in a million years she would stay there without crying but she happily layed there, smiling still. She had her buddy bear with her and she kept putting the mask on buddy bears face and smiling about it. It was cute. Then it was time to put the mask on her so she could go to sleep. She saw it coming or something because she started screaming...even though she willingly put it on herself earlier. She didn't scream long though, she settled down immediately, and I talked to her and kissed her on the cheek the lasts seconds she was awake. They said she actually did really well because most put up a fight longer.

Phew I THOUGHT the hard part was over. I drove myself crazy in the waiting area, finally about 2 hours later (they said it'd only be 1 hour) the dentists comes out (I couldn't help but smile seeing him, I was so relieved) and talks to us and tells a few more minutes and we can go see her. So again we had to wait. Not long this time. 5-10 minutes. Keep in mind, this is longest I've been away from my child since she was born!!

Walking the halls I hear a screaming and inconsolable cry coming from my baby's room. My first thought was 'Oh God, how long has she been crying before they came and got me?', I'm sure longer than I want to know. They actually wait until they settle down a bit before they get the parents (so I've been told). I'm still sad about that. I saw the nurse holding her like a newborn. That was an odd site. stranger cradling my child. I'm not sure I liked that feeling. She had an IV in her foot, blood pressure band on her arm, and a heart rate monitor on her toe. Oh, she ended having 3 fixed and one pulled. The 3 fixed ones are not the best shape, we'll hope they hold up!

I took her and sat with her. She was better but still very upset. The nurse wanted to give her a bottle and I said no she is still nursed, she's never had a bottle before. So I nursed her, it settled her for a minute but she extremely upset again. She'd fall asleep, wake up crying, fall asleep, wake up crying. She did this most of the day.

Eventually we made it out of there. She wasn't happy getting into her car seat. She just wanted to nurse nurse nurse. I would have let her but we HAD to get home. That's a long ride, so I only let her nurse for 15-20 minutes or so in the car.


We stopped at the mall on the way home to get food for us, ice cream for Tehya, drinks and a present for her for doing a good job. She refused water, she refused the ice cream (that NEVER happens), she wanted nothing. She still cried, slept, cried, slept. She was white as a ghost and her lips were blue and then white. We bought her a cute pirate tent and left for home.

She did the cry sleep thing all the way home. Still was pale. Then she vomited 3x in a row on herself. First time in her life that she vomited. Sadly, I did my best to clean it up, but we were still 30 minutes from home so she had to stay like that. (I was riding in back with her, as always) I wasn't about to take her out, we all just wanted to get home and if I took her out, she would not have got back in. Plus she wasn't crying so I didn't want to change the situation.



Finally. We are HOME. Home sweet home. She was still "not right" for a bit, but now she is better. She ate a yogurt pop, a juice box (which I never give her), and a bowl of rice. She showered and just fell asleep at 7pm. I hope she's to bed not napping. I don't need her falling off schedule...again.

5 comments:

Sarah said...

What an ordeal! Well I'm glad that everything went well for the most part. I know what it feels like to walk in and see a stranger "cradling" your child trying to console them. I hate it, hate it. Anyways, I hope she feels better after the all the drugs and the tiring day.

Wendy said...

Oh poor baby girl! I remember when Ally had surgery to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids out. I hated giving my baby (she was 18 months at the time) over to them. And seeing her afterward with an IV and completely out of it was just heartbreaking. I'm glad they got everything fixed. Hopefully that will be the last of it ;)

Nicknessaemma said...

Where was it done at? The OR? (I don't know if you remember, but I worked for a pediatric dentist) Sounds like she did really well. Everything your explaining sounded completely normal. She will be back to normal real soon, if not already. Kids recover so quickly. I am sure it was hard seeing her like that, I know it was hard for me to see the kids like that and I saw it all the time. I can't imagine how it is when it's your own. Your so strong. I am proud of you both=) Give her a hug for me and Emmy.

Stacey said...

It was done at the Medical Center, Surgery Center. A complete team of people, including the dentist obviously and the nurses and anesthesiologists. She's doing well now. :)

Andrea said...

ohh, poor baby! Well I'm glad she's doing better now, and hope that it all goes well from here on out. Reading it brought tears to my eyes :-( I feel for you, I know how hard it is to have your baby in that situation. Carolina had to be sedated in the PICU durring one of her asthma attacks, and I was out of the room when she came to one time, and she was still out of it a bit but she lunged for me to nurse as soon as I walked in. It broke my heart to imagine how scared she was. Thank goodness they most likely won't remember it this young!