My Little Patient

Yesterday was Cole's surgery (as mentioned here) and I am so happy to report that all went well and that my little man is back to normal.  We arrived at CHEO (the most amazing children's hospital in all of Canada, seriously, I have NEVER heard a bad thing about this place and we as well have rave reviews) at 6:30 a.m. and got signed in and within an hour Cole and Ryan were both dressed to head in to the operating room.  When the nurse asked if one of us wanted to go with Cole until he was under the anaesthetic we both said yes and Ryan looked at me and said 'I'll go'.  I began to protest but he looked at me and reassured me that it was better him than me going in as I would only cry and scare Cole.  He was right because as soon as they were gone I was sitting there wiping tears off my face and continued to do so until the doctor came to tell us all went well and that he was on his way back to recovery.  The nurse came to get one of us when he was beginning to wake up and I jumped up and all but ran to his room and on my way in my eyes started to tear up, but just as quick as they did I heard him and it stopped all of my tears.  He was groggy and scared and as a result of that he was thrashing around on this little bed screaming.  I ran over to him and kept reassuring him that all would be fine and he slowly began to calm down.  Every few minutes he would start to whine and kick and ask for his 'fox shirt' but in his whines I couldn't make out what he was saying.  Then it dawned on me.  His shirt that he wore to the hospital had the tiniest little fox on it and when we got him dressed in the little pj's that they supply he begged us to put his fox shirt back on.  The poor guy was still thinking about this during and after his surgery.  The nurse got C a Popsicle and some juice and soon enough we were off to day care surgery to be discharged.  Once settled in that room he asked to snuggle with me so we did for an hour to make sure that all was well.  Within 20 minutes of sitting in that room he was back to normal and wanted to play and run around. The nurse sent us off with post-op instructions including to keep him calm and sitting for the next WEEK.  We both laughed and she said that she understood, after all, he is a little boy, but to try our best.  Well we did, yesterday.  There really isn't much we can do to keep him sitting and doing nothing.  We put a movie on and sits for 20 minutes and then he's on the floor playing with his monster trucks and trains.  I tried to color a picture with him and that worked for another 20 minutes and then he was off to find a book.  Oh well, I guess it's not a bad thing that he is up and at it like nothing happened.  We are just so lucky to be so close to CHEO if anything were to ever happen to him, what an amazing hospital.  I am loving being at home to care for Cole while he is recovering, but that will end tomorrow when I go back to work and he spends the day with his Nana and Papa.

Please take a moment and hold your loved ones close today (and everyday), this past weekend in Ottawa there was a tragedy when a 14 year old girl took her own life.  Please encourage everyone you know, especially teens to talk to someone, anyone and please take a moment to pray for the Richardson family and all of Daron's friends.