Tuesday, February 2, 2010

One Surgery, Two Recoveries

Thursday, my middle son came home hugging his belly.

Friday, he had emergency surgery to remove his appendix.

It’s been a little crazy here.

Hospital stay

This is him in his hospital room.  See the smile?  That’s the smile of a boy who finally got to eat and was given pizza, cookies, chips, a brownie and a milk shake for his first meal!  Lol! 

He’s home now, recovering, doing homework, sleeping and playing his DS Lite.  He goes back to the Surgeon Thursday for a follow up, and we expect to have permission to go back to school Monday.

I learned a few things this week.

  • A parent is never prepared for their child to have emergency surgery.  Even if they sit through hours of testing with an OR staff on alert.
  • Phone calls before the surgery are really really hard to make without tears.
  • There is never enough time to hug in the surgery prep area.  But praying helps.
  • The waiting room is the loneliest place in the world, no matter how many people surround you.
  • Hearing a friend’s voice on the phone is like catching a line in a stormy sea.
  • You can read the same page in a gripping novel 57 times and still not know what you read.
  • Sleeping isn’t sleeping when you’re lying in the bed next to your son in a hospital room.
  • It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to know God is in control.
  • It’s impossible to answer your son when he says the next day, “I’m having fun, mom.  Are you?”
  • He’ll likely recover before me.

Thank you Lord, for protecting him.  For letting us catch it before it ruptured.  For giving him such a great attitude. For friends who pray and help.

It was a scary time.  Thank you for walking us through.

I’ll be manning the DVD player this week, and snuggling on the couch with my two youngest boys.  And you know?  That might be all I get done.

Have a great week, friends!  I hope you find some thankfulness to unwrap!  :)

This update goes hand in hand with Gratituesday,  30 minute challenge,  Tuesday Unwrapped, so I’m linking up.

18 comments:

brianna said...

Thank you. For putting words to the description of some of the things my heart learned last year when my daughter was in the hospital for three days -- no emergency surgery, but scary nonetheless.

Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama said...

Aww, so glad that he is ok.

It Feels Like Chaos said...

That is quite the ordeal to go through! So glad he is doing well now and I totally know what you mean about kids recovering so much quicker than us moms. Praise God they are so resilient! I'm sure you're heart is still racing. My daughter had 2 different surgeries as a toddler, both minor but the whole process of them taking her away from me to go to the OR and having her sedated and seeing her as she woke up from the sedation I know I spent and entire day after each cuddling with her on the couch and it was the best recovery medicine for the trauma to my momma heart!

Kathy said...

You are so right about everything you wrote that you've learned. I pray for a great wind of grace to wash over you for these days ahead. Enjoy them, dear Mom.

Sidnie said...

I can't imagine what its like for a Momma to watch her child go through surgery. So glad he's ok and on the road to recovery!
Sending prayers your way right now.
Enjoy your couch snuggles time!

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Oh my friend. Take care of those boys and don't worry about the rest. You definitely have your priorities straight! I'm glad he's smiling and doing well.
Hugs
KIm

Christina said...

Oh, my! That is not the good kind of excitement to have. I hope you and he have a quick recovery.

Kelly said...

Glad he's doing well! Enjoy your snuggling and movies as you recover...everything else can wait!
I found your blog through steadymom and I have enjoyed it, I'll be back :-)

Mari said...

He's looking pretty good now. Kids bounce back quick! My daughter had her appendix out a few years ago when she was 20. That was bad enough, but when they're younger it's worse. Hope he's back to normal soon!

annies home said...

so happy you are feeling better

Anonymous said...

Wow... what an ordeal! I could feel the sincerity in those things you listed. ((hugs))

Here's to a speedy recovery!

Raise Them Up said...

Thank you so much, friends, for all your thoughts and prayers. He gets a great big smile when I tell him people are praying for him. And that's the best medicine there is. :)

se7en said...

What an awful time - you are probably more emotionally exhausted than he is physically - head for the couch and do not move till you are all better. Have a good day!!!

Dawn said...

i love that smile on your son's face... and glad that he is on the mend. as i read down your list i kept going back to #1 & #3. and i know my mom would agree. i had my own emergency appendectomy three years ago... and even though i am adult, she felt the same :)

imoomie said...

So many things to be thankful for! You are so accurate...he probably will recover before you. LOL!

imoomie said...

So many things to be thankful for! You are so accurate...he probably will recover before you. LOL!

Tracey said...

So glad he (and you!) are on the mend! What a scary thing to go through as a Mom. Thank God for the power of prayer and His grace.

Sharon said...

So glad that he's okay! That grin is infectious. Praise God for His mercy.