Gannon's Soft Palate Cleft Surgery

Gannon had his cleft surgery on Sept. 11, 09. The morning went by quick. After checking-in and a small wait the family was ushered down the hall to the family waiting room area where Gannon was changed into his scrubs and his height and weight were taken. Daddy was very hands on here with the diaper changing and all.The nurse decided that Gannon was too tall to lie down on the scale so she had him sit up while she took his weight. Then we were taken to "our" family waiting room. This is where we met with nurses, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist team before the surgery. It was a bit nerve racking when the anesthesiologist told us they would have to breath for our baby while he was under just before they carried him out the door, and down the hall. Then we were sent to sit in a waiting lounge which slowly be came packed with other family members waiting for their own someone to come out of surgery. Grandma Cathy soon came and took Royce and Giovonnie to her house. (Thank you so very much Cathy.) While he was in surgery a nurse would call us to let us know how Gannon was doing and where he was at with the surgery. Dr. Sidman first checked the tubes in Gannon's ears to see if they would need to be replaced, but we received a phone call to tell us that all was well there the tubes were completely clear and in-tacked (areal blessing). Then they started the cleft surgery which took about 45 mins. Again we received a call to let us know that the surgery went well, that Gannon was going to the recovery room for about an hour, and that Dr. Sidman would be out to speak with us in a bit. When Dr. Sidman found us we were answering questions for a nurse in order to move Gannon up to a hospital room. He said, "the surgery went as smooth as butter." Once Dr. Sidman left we finished answering questions for the nurse and then we were directed to wait in the family lounge again. The hour passed and we received a call letting us know that Gannon was still a bit tired, and they would keep him for another 20 minutes. Joe and I played an "I spy" game with a drawing that was hung in the hospital hallway as we waited. Forty-five minutes went by, and still no Gannon. I turned to Joe, "What could be taking them?" Joe shrugged, "I don't know." Fifteen more minutes went by, "Joe, it's been two hours from when he went into recovery, and the last time they called they said 20 more minutes - that was an hour ago. Would you go check?" Joe went to talk with the volunteer at the desk in the family lounge returning with news that Gannon would be in another 20 minutes. Those twenty minutes passed by way to slowly for my liking, plus another 10 and then we finally received the call that we could go see our baby and take him to his room. Once we caught up with the nurse Joe took Gannon from her arms and carried him as we followed her to the hospital room which we would be staying in.On the way she explained that Gannon although waking from time to time was having a hard time staying awake and was on blow by oxygen the whole time, and that he may need it up in the room too. After getting settled in our shared hospital room and all the bells and whistles were attached to Gannon the many nurses decide it would be best to put Gannon back on the blow-by O2. Every time he would wake up he would start to cry, and realize that it was more painful to cry, so he would hold his breath which would make his O2 levels go down and his heart rate go way up setting the alarm bells off and nurses rushing in. Gannon slept off and on the rest of the day, and in the evening he finally ate Popsicles. He loved the orange ones the best. Joe went to stay at Grandma Cathy's with Royce and Giovonnie while I stayed at the hospital with Gannon. The baby next to us was released to go home, so the room was all ours until 4am when another little girl came in with her dad because of a bad tooth infection. She had to have oral surgery the day before her 4th birthday! (What a wonderful birthday gift that was.) Anyhow, between the two little ones with the alarms going off for IV stuff, and med stuff, heart rate monitors, and O2 levels going off every 10 minutes or so and nurses coming and going I don't think I got any sleep at all. Gannon was up at his normal 7 am, and he was ready to play. Joe came back to the hospital about 9 am with Royce and Giovonnie. Gannon was glad to see his brothers. He even smiled at them; it was too cute. Gannon became quite hungry and ate some pudding, took two drinks out of his sippy cup, and then settled on Popsicles. When the nurse asked about how much he was drinking I said, "not much, but he has ate more then I expected. When we told her that he had 4 twin pops (a total of 8 Popsicles) she said excitedly, "Popsicles count." We were then released to go home Saturday at 1 pm instead of on Sunday, so we went to Uncle Randy and Aunt Kelly's so the boys could see Cameron for a while, and Gannon and I took a nap. (Naps are so good.) Then we went over to Grandma Cathy's to eat dinner, and to get a good nights rest before heading back home. On Sunday we left Daddy at Uncle Randy's for his bothers Boundary Water trip, and head back home. Thank you to those of you who rembered Gannon in your prayers he has felt better every day, although at night he seems to be in some pain yet, in the day he is feeling well enough to play, crawl around, and walk around the furniture. He doesn't even seem to mind the arm braces (called NO NOs) that keep his hands from getting to his mouth once they are on, but he can and does pull them off from time to time. I think that we will both be glad when we will be able to take them off for good, only two more days.