Pre-Op Today--Surgery Begins at 8 am tomorrow

All of you mothers out there with children who have special needs can understand what an ordeal today has been. We were at the hospital for 5 hours. I am so glad we decided to spend the night at the hotel, rather than stay at the hospital tonight. Ellie and I both needed to get out of there!

The day began well. The picture above is of Ellie, with the Child Life Coordinator at Shriner's. We went to x-ray first this morning, then we met with Tara, from child life. She brought a big doll named Sally, and she explained to Ellie what will happen in the morning. Ellie got to put things on Sally that the nurses will put on her tomorrow. It was the coolest thing I've never imagined.

I must say the staff at Shriner's is awesome. Everyone is so child friendly and family friendly. We met with Tara, and a nurse practitioner, and a care coordinator, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, another nurse, the anesthesiologist, one or two somebody elses, and the two ladies who had to take Ellie's blood.

We were there so long they gave us armbands so we could have a free lunch in the cafeteria. Then we went back for a cathed urinalysis and the blood work. Oh, my!

That was by far the worst experience of my life with Ellie. (It may rank right up there with a spinal tap on Whitney when she was just months old.) I have learned that Ellie does not have good veins. Three nurses worked together while I held Ellie. They stuck and she screamed and they kept trying and she screamed and everybody tried to comfort her, but they couldn't get any blood. They put the band on her other arm and decided those veins weren't good enough either. Ellie was so upsest they had me pick her up for a while and just love on her. Then I sat down with her and they decided to use her hand. I was praying, and it was successful, but obviously so painful as she screamed and screamed and cried and screamed. When they were finished she was drenched with sweat and sobbing and gulping. I thought she might throw up.

We had one more paper to sign, so when everyone left the room, I just kept comforting her. She was motioning here and there around the room. She wouldn't say anything until finally in a whipser, "I want to leave." OM goodness. I swayed with her back and forth until she fell asleep.

I am grateful for the child friendly staff who had someone carry all of my things to the car so I could carry Ellie. She is now happily watching Ni Hao Kailan on the DVD player, and we're waiting for Josie-Tatam, Grandma, and Grandpa to show up. Then we're planning to go to the beach for about an hour--our last hurrah! When I mentioned we were going to beach, the anesthesiologist told us his favorite place to go and printed directions for us. How cool is that!!! (He also said he couldn't wait to see her personality when he had to give her the medication to sedate her before they take her from her mommy. He told me she would be the most compliant child I've ever seen.)

This day is over...but tomorrow is the big day. Thank you for your prayers. I have certainly felt them today.

Enjoy these pics!