Surgery was a breeze. We did the tour last week, and I think it really helped. Gatito was a little quiet then, but when we saw the same nurse again today, he opened up an asked tons of questions, which is exactly what we wanted.
The difference between this experience at a top children’s hospital with pediatric anesthesiologists and the one with his teeth at a more local hospital with a children’s wing and regular anesthesiologists with pediatric experience was night and day. Should your child ever require surgery, no matter how minor, I cannot stress the importance of a children’s hospital enough.
The entire staff was so sensitive to the way a child deals with anesthesia. He was so calm that he did not even require the happy drug they would have given him prior to the mask. He did not fight the mask and went down easily. We were allowed to be in recovery before he woke up, so that we were there the moment he opened his eyes and he did not have time to become hysterical. When he started to be bothered by the IV line, they took it out. None of this happened the last time.
Before the anesthesia, the nurse told him gently, “Close your eyes. Now open your eyes. That’s how long it’s going to seem to you.” So Gatito asked, “But how long is it going to seem to you?”
When we got home, he and A were playing a game of Hospital. Gatito was the doctor and A the patient. A, exhausted from our early morning wake-up, was eagerly awaiting the play anesthesia, when Gatito kicked A out of bed and said, “Excuse me, but I just had surgery today, and even though I’m the doctor, I need to lie down.”
The kid just floors me. I love him so damn much. Watching him and waiting for him to wake up, I stared at his long neck and noticed that his nose is turning from its baby non-nose into a real person’s nose, and I was struck by the realization that he’s in the final transition from baby to kid. It’s bittersweet, of course. I’m so proud of him and so excited for what lies ahead, but I would still like to freeze time. I’m aware it’s a feeling that is familiar to many.
Most importantly, the surgery was a success and it’s over and I’m so ridiculously grateful that we weren’t there for anything more serious.