This is the story about my tummy surgery. If you already know my story, you can just skip down to the pictures. For most of my short life, I have had tummy problems. My tummy cramps and I’m uncomfortable a lot. Miss Shannon has to carry me around and rub my back some afternoons, and many nights it hurts and mommy rocks me or rubs my back or I lay on dad’s chest and he pats my back. Sometimes it feels like all sorts of gas is stuck inside of me and Miss Shannon or mommy has to work my legs up and down to make the gas come out. That usually makes me feel better for a little while. Mommy quit drinking milk. That made me feel a little better but I’m still not happy lots of the time. My doctor was quite concerned so he tried some different medicines to make me feel better but they didn’t help, so he said we should get some special pictures of my belly to see if everything is OK and I should see a doctor that specializes in baby’s tummies.
On Thursday, mommy took me to the radiology department at Medical City, so they could look at the inside of my tummy. Miss April and Dr Kam were really nice. Dr Kam sounds a lot like Garry that visits sometimes so maybe Dr Kam is from that other place where Garry lives. Miss April wrapped me up and put me in this strange contraption. It felt funny but she talked to me the whole time so I wasn’t scared. She gave me a bottle of funny tasting stuff to drink and Dr Kam took lots of pictures of my tummy. I was a big boy and didn’t cry at all. The funny tasting stuff moved through my tummy and went into my intestines. At first it looked OK but then my intestines zigged where they should have zagged. Mommy seemed quite concerned. Miss April found a quiet place for Mommy to feed me and then they took some more pictures and a little while later even more pictures. Miss April let us take the pictures with us. We dropped off the pictures at the office of the tummy doctor and went home.
Friday morning mommy and I went to meet a new doctor at Medical City who specializes in baby’s tummies. He’s really nice. He plays with my belly and looks at the pictures. He tells us I should see a doctor who specializes in operating on babies and gives mommy a phone number. He also wants some blood work. Mommy takes me to get the blood drawn. That was not fun. I thought I did good knocking that nasty needle out of my arm but the lady just put it right back in. I screamed a lot until they stopped.
This other doctor I have to see has lots of offices so mommy and I go to radiology with the pictures to see if we can get copies in case my next appointment is not at Medical City. Even though they usually make you come back the next day for copies, the nice lady at radiology made copies right away. She cautioned mommy that you only get one free set of copies – after that its $20 a picture. Wow, they are not even color pictures. While we are waiting for the copies, my regular doctor calls mommy. He thinks this zig zagging intestine is causing my discomfort and wants me to see a surgeon and gives mommy the name and number. It’s the same number that the tummy doctor gave us. When my doctor finds out we are already at Medical City, he calls the surgeon and makes arrangements for me to see him right away. Mommy and I go and see the surgeon and he says this problem in my tummy is pretty serious and we should fix it right away. If we don’t fix it my intestines could kink up like a garden hose and I would get very, very sick very quickly. His nurse will call and get me admitted to the hospital immediately. Now mommy is really concerned.
Mommy and I go back across the street to the hospital. We talk to a nice man named Jarred. Jarred is really funny and he makes mommy laugh which is good cause mommy hasn’t laughed since we got the pictures yesterday. Jarred gets me admitted to the hospital. He helps us carry my stuff and find my room (which is good because mommy gets lost a lot in this hospital). The surgeon comes by and says he wants to get some blood work done. Oh no, I think, not again. Mommy tells him the belly doctor just did some blood work this morning. The surgeon says since they just did blood work on me this morning I won’t have to have any more blood work. Yeah!! Daddy comes and we go to find a place for mommy and daddy to eat. We run into a different belly doctor in the hall. He’s the doctor that took special pictures of me while I was in mommy’s belly (more black and white – don’t these hospital people know about color pictures?). He’s really nice too. Mommy and Daddy finally find the café they are looking for and have a nice meal. We go back to hang out in my room. The doctor gets my surgery scheduled for 9:30 on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning mommy feeds me but makes me stop eating at 7:30. I’m pretty full so I don’t mind. Mommy takes some pictures of my belly and puts on my hospital gown. I play with Dad for a while and then they put me in my bed and take me to pre-op. Mommy and Daddy talk to the anesthesiologist and my surgeon and then they wheel me off to the operating room. The anesthesiologist put a mask over my nose and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I’m back in that room where I left mommy and daddy. The nurse is really nice and keeps a very close eye on me. Mommy and daddy come back and stay with me for a while and then take me back to my room. I’m really pretty out of it. There’s a tube down my nose and a tube coming out of my hand and wire’s on my chest, my other hand and my toe. The nurse says mommy and daddy can hold me but it takes two people to get all my wires and tubes arranged. Daddy leaves for a while to watch my brother’s soccer game and then comes back. I don’t like to miss those soccer games but I’m in no shape to go anywhere. I’m getting more alert and I’m getting hungry. Mommy wants to hold me but when she does I go nuts trying to find that nice milk supply that mommy keeps for me.
Sunday my regular doctor comes by to see me. Later another doctor comes by and says the nurse can take out the nose tube. I was trying to pull it out on my own but Daddy wouldn’t let me. Its nice to get that tube out but I am REALLY hungry. I start to suck on the pacifier again but I can’t suck any milk out of it no matter how hard I try. Mom keeps using that pump and I can smell the milk but they won’t give me any of it. Another lactation consultant comes by to check on mommy. They talk about how often Mommy should pump her milk, Mommy is getting sore. Hey, here I am, Mommy, don’t use that pump, I’ll take care of you! Sunday is a long day for everyone. Mom goes home and gets some clothes and feeds my dogs and rabbit and then comes back. Dad holds me most of the day and I just keep thinking about how hungry I am. Everyone calls to check on me, Mom tells them to pray for poop. Sunday night, mom and dad take turns patting me trying to keep me content but I am soooo hungry. I finally fall asleep around 3am.
Monday morning mommy and daddy take turns reading to me. Mommy reads me my Winnie the Pooh book and I can relate to Pooh when he gets rumbly in his tumbly. Daddy shows me cool pictures in his motorcycle magazine. I really like the yellow dirt bikes and wonder when I will be big enough to ride one. The doctor comes by and says we can take all the wires off of me, but I still can’t eat because I haven’t pooped yet. Doesn’t he know that I poop AFTER I eat, so if he wants me to poop, I gotta eat. But, it turns out that blowing gas is almost as good as pooping and I’ve been blowing gas since right after my surgery. Miss Linda brings a bottle of Pedialyte and I get to drink a couple of ounces. It’s not milk, but at least its something in my hungry belly. Miss Linda checks my tummy and says in a couple of hours I can have a little milk. Mommy gives me a small bottle of milk and it makes me happy. Miss Linda feels my tummy again and next time we don’t use a bottle but I still don’t get to eat as much as I want. Then around 5:30 I filled a diaper. Mommy and Daddy are so happy. Mommy calls all her friends and family to tell them the happy news. Miss Linda comes in and admires my work. I can’t believe these people get so excited over poop. Mommy says it’s nuclear poop because it has all that stuff in it from my test last Thursday. Now I get to eat even more. Finally. Mommy puts me to bed at 10 and I sleep until mommy gets me up to feed me. Then I went back to sleep until mommy got me up to eat the next morning. Before this I have only twice slept for 4 hours or more because my tummy pains would wake me up.
I feel so much better after all this sleep. Its now Tuesday and Daddy goes to work. I fill another diaper with nuclear poop. Everyone is quite pleased but it’s not quite as big a deal as last night. Mommy calls daddy to tell him but not everyone else. Miss Linda disconnects the IV so it’s a lot easier for mom to pick me up. The surgeon comes by and he is so pleased with my poop that he says I can go home today. Yeah! Miss Linda takes the IV out of my hand. Mom carries all the stuff to the car and comes back to get me. I fill another diaper, eat some more and then Miss Linda helps us take the last load to the car and hugs us good-bye. Its good to be home. My dogs give me LOTS of kisses, they are so happy to see me. Mom and I take a little nap and then we just spend some time playing. When Daddy comes home they give me a bath and I crashed not long after that. I slept through the night – until mom woke me up to eat. Mom says I’m like a new baby!
I’m really thankful for all my family and friends and for all their prayers for me and for mommy and daddy. And I’m thankful for all the people at Medical City, they really took good care of me (and mom and dad).
Saturday morning, got a full belly and I’m ready to go.
Dressed and ready to go. Playing with Dad.
Early afternoon on Saturday, everyone is wiped out.
Saturday afternoon, wires and tubes everywhere.
Dad came back from my brother’s soccer game and we’re crashed again.
No more nose tube! This pacifier is great but I’m hungry!
My incision is under the tape. Chicks think guys with scars are sexy, right?
Check out my glow toe.
Daddy, I’m really hungry. Why won’t mommy feed me?
If I pull these little wires off, think anyone will notice?
Hey it works just as well in my fist as it did stuck to my chest!
Mom reads me Winnie the Pooh
Dad and I look at motorcycles.
So when do I get my first dirt bike?
I kicked off my glow toe so they wrapped it around my foot.
The Campbell’s sent me a get-well bear with some balloons. I love looking at the balloons.
Where’s the MILK? Have you people lost your mind? Have you not read even the first chapter of a baby care book? This is my “I’m hungry” cry. Do I need to crank up the volume? You are supposed to feed me.
Pedialyte? Its not milk but at least you finally gave me something. And all I had to do was pass a little gas to get this? Well look out. I got some nuclear gas that will clear the room. In fact, you might have to evacuate the 6th floor when I get done.
Mom, I don’t know why you wasted time putting this in a bottle, but I’ll take it any way I can get it!
Got some milk in my belly, life is good. Think I’ll just put my feet up for a while.
I got rid of my wires, but Miss Linda was worried I was going to pull out my IV so she taped my hand to this board. So now I whack people up side the head! Mom was my first victim.
Dad and I hang out while I’m working up my first nuclear diaper.
Relief!
Now that I have eaten and pooped, its time for my third favorite activity, sleeping.
Tuesday morning, I’m 11 weeks old today and I just got my first night of sleep. I think I liked it as much as mom and dad.
Toys for the crib. These people at Medical City are great!
Miss Linda takes out my IV. Yeah. We’re going home!
It’s about time I got a bath.