Zoey's surgery is over...

On Wednesday, Zoey had her surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids (they were enlarged) and put tubes in her ears.  We arrived at the hospital Wednesday morning (a little early), around 6:30AM - we weren't supposed to be there until 7:25AM.  I was literally sick to my stomach.  It was horrible.  Around 6:45AM, I told Joe lets just go ahead and go up to get the process started.  We had kept Zoey up pretty late the night before so she was completely knocked out.  When we got into the check-in room, everything moved pretty quickly.  They had us fill out paperwork and Zoey woke up, but was still a little out of it.  Then, they called us into the back part to start the check-up process and inform us how the surgery would happen, how long it takes and so on.  They gave Zoey some oral medication to make her loopy so she wouldn't be scared to go into the back with them.  Once that was in her system she started acted really silly.  Smiling really big and saying funny things.  She told me at one point that her "tongue fell off," but kept sticking it out at me.  They took her back to back and the meds did what they were supposed too... she didn't even mind.  I was nervous - of course - and felt sick.  Joe decided to walk around, while I decided to sit and stare at the screen that said her case number, "8625" and "In Surgery." Literally, that is all the screen said and I stared at it for 45 minutes.  The doctor came out to tell us the surgery was over and everything went good.  We of course had a list of questions to ask him, which he answered and then we were off to the recovery room.

When we got into the recovery room, she was still asleep so the nurses went over all the release paperwork and then she woke up.  When she woke up - she woke up mad.  I seriously have never seen her so mad.  She punched, kicked, smacked, screamed, and anything else she could do to get her point that she was pissed.  She actually flung herself around so much that she ripped out her IV out of her hand.  :-(  They had to insert another IV and they put it in her foot so it wasn't in her line of sight - that worked out much better!!!

The night at the hospital was interesting.  Zoey was tired and she wanted to come home to go to sleep.  She was crying for "Buddy" (our dog).  On top of all that, the first evening nurse wasn't that pleasant.  While Zoey was crying, she opened the door and was like, "What's all that fuss in there?"  She didn't say it in a kind manner, you could tell she was mad and it just seemed like she hated her job.  I told her that Zoey was just tired and wanted to go home; her reply was (to Zoey, I might add), "Well the doctor said you have to stay here, so the only way you can leave is if your MOM requests it."  Zoey isn't stupid - she knew exactly what that meant, she knew the only way she could leave and go home was if I asked for her too.  So I got to hear her plead with me to let them let her go home.  I was beyond pissed with that woman.  I really wanted to punch her.  I started walking Zoey in her stroller to get her to calm down and while I was walking I heard the same nurse in another room trying to get the parents to request to be released early.  I really just don't think she wanted to do her job.  Zoey finally dozed off and I put her back in her bed.  I literally had been up all day and was ready to fall over so Joe said he was going to go for a walk and that I should take a nap while he was gone.  The nap for me didn't last long.  The nurse and another nurse came into the room that we were connected with (separated by a curtain) to set up one of the beds for Joe or I.  While they were over there, I got to hear them complain about how lazy the daytime nurses were and how they didn't understand why the daytime nurses couldn't set up their own beds for the parents.  They also were being as loud as possible while converting the chair into a bed which made me mad because Zoey just fell asleep!  After that, they came over to the side I was on to convert the chair to a bed and complained even more because usually only one parent stays with a child, but we were told by the doctor that we both could stay.  It was seriously annoying.  Soon, they were gone and I tried to nap again, but it didn't work very well.  The next thing I knew the nurse was back in there saying it was time for Zoey's medicine.  I told her that she wasn't taking it very well and the daytime nurses actually had been mixing it in applesauce, but that nurse was like, "Oh no - she is going to take her medicine."  Mad, again.  Zoey choked down her medicine, spit half of it out, and went back to sleep.  Later on that evening, I walked out to use the bathroom and witness all the "busy" nighttime nurses sitting behind the nurse station, watching TV, gossiping, and doing whatever else they wanted to do.  So literally - their shift is busy for maybe an hour while they are prepping beds for the parents... while the daytime nurses barely had a chance to sit down or to eat or anything else like that.  Our nasty nighttime nurse was over at 9PM and the next nurses that came in were a lot better - you could actually tell they worked at a CHILDREN'S hospital and the rest of the night went a lot better (minus the not sleeping thing).

We were releases around 7ish and headed to Target to drop off her medicine, my dad's to get her dog, and Wa-Wa to get food (we were starving!!).  Then, home.  Zoey is doing pretty good.  Yesterday, she was refusing her medicine's so I made a game for her and Joe to race taking medicine (Joe's is just colored water).  Whoever wins gets a special prize - which of course, Zoey has won every time!  Last night was a little rough because waking her up to take her meds was not fun.  This morning was a little rough because she was actually running a low grade fever which I think broke like around 1:30 ago because she is actually up playing and asked for food for the first time today.  Today is the last day we have to give her meds every three hours - so I am hoping that tomorrow will be better.  We will see.  But all and all, I have to admit it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I literally thought these days were going to be hell and I was going to be considering running away.

I am happy that the surgery is over though and that the recovery is three days in... only 11 more to go!  :-D  We are going to be a'okay!