Anna's Surgery

We drove into Grand Rapids on Monday for an appointment with Dr. Mann. told us what he was going to do fix Anna's lip and listed to her lungs- and that was it. A two hour drive for a 5 min appointment... Fun. But we also got to go to the hospital and they showed us around, and it helped because at 6:30 (Wednesday) in the morning it is nice to know where you have to go in a big hospital.

She got checked in and we got shown to our PreOp room. The ID tags they have for kids are great. It was soft and Velcro. So you could take it off if needed to.... Anna doll also got an ID bracelet, Anna got to take her with into the operating room.

After waiting in PreOp for almost two hours and trying to keep Anna busy so she would forget she was hungry - a nurse came and showed us to a preop waiting room. There Jake got all dressed up, he went with Anna into the operation room until she fell asleep, and witch took about 30 seconds. We then had a two hours wait. Had a nice talk with an elderly lady and got some knitting done. Jake took a nap.

After an other 2hr + Dr. Mann came and saw us, told us that Anna is doing great and the surgery was a success. He also told us what Anna would look like once we got to see her in recovery.

½ hr to 45 min later a nurse came to get us. We all – including Elizabeth got to go in recovery and see Anna. She was still sleeping, trying to wake up. Her upper lip was 3x the normal size and had skin glue on it. This made her lip look grayish. This glue works like stitches. Anna only has stitches under her lip, the top – the viewable area is patched up with this glue. It also protects it and supports it (like bandage and cast). She had a blood pressure cuff on her right leg, an I.V, in her right arm and a heart monitor on her left thumb. (This got changed later in the day – a nice lady moved it to Anna’s left foot – where it did not fall off)

We all sat/stood there waiting for the OK to go to Anna’s room. When the OK came – I ended up caring her up to her room, and for the next 3 hours that the only place she wanted to me in Jakes or my arms. We finally managed to get her in her crib – laid a large blanket around.

Our first and only visitors were Jen and Hannah and Hennas grandparents, they were in Grand Rapids to see one of Hannah’s doctors. They were waiting for us in the hallway as we came up from recovery. (Jen is the wife of Jakes best friend Jason, Hannah is their daughter – 6 weeks old)

Nurses came in to check on her all day long, and even some people that asked if we needed toys. We got Anna a mobile that she loved, and found some Baby Einstein videos and Books for Elizabeth. But we came prepared. We had a big bag of toys and a blanket that Elizabeth could lay on to play.

Elizabeth and I also took a trip down to the Gift shop and got Anna a balloon – she managed to hang on to it all the way back to the room. (She dropped it once) But I think she enjoyed it more then her sister.

Anna slept most of the day. Around 5 pm we tried to feed her – it went great.

The night came – and all the fun for mom. Jake went back to our room at the hospitality house with Elizabeth. I fell asleep on a pull out chair around 10.30 pm. At 11 pm the nurse came in – had to take Anna’s vitals – woke her up. We fell asleep again around 11.30 pm - then at 12 am (midnight) her IV started beeping. I keep pressing the Nurses button – but no answer till 5 min later – a nurse came in and fixed it. But it was to late – Anna was awake. Some food, some pain medication and 2 hours later Anna fell back asleep. Then at 4 am the night nurse came in to check her vitals – did not wake up Anna, but me. Fell back asleep. At 6.15 am the first doctor came in to check on Anna. Woke her up. 30 – 40 min later a second doctor came in (from the same team). So I figured it was time to get up.

This doctor was telling me how to feed Anna when we got home, he told me a syringe and that she should not have her pacifier. This is not what Dr. Mann told me. And I told hem that. He took back every thing he had said – and told me that Dr. Mann is the boss…..

We got released around 1.30 pm that day. It was nice to be home – I was tired after about 3 hours of sleep.

Everything went well until Saturday night, when Anna decided that she was going to react to her pain meds. She threw up all over Jake. Then all over me. We called Dr. Mann’s office – they told us to stop giving her the strong pain medication and just give her regular baby Tylenol.

Two hours later I am throwing up. I visited the bathroom a lot that night. Sunday I was sleeping – and Jake was taking care of the girls. So we missed Hannah’s baptism….

Monday – Post Op. Appointment with Dr. Mann in Grand Rapids. It went well. He said she looks good, and just told us some more care instructions for the lip. He also informed us how to remove the glue when that time comes – in about 4 – 5 days. We are going back to see him in 8 weeks. Right before Christmas – so I can get my last minute shopping done in GR.

Anna is doing good, not eating as much as I would like her to. But she is still getting used to her new lip, and she got glue on it…. Who can blame her?