Time for Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving morning.  The house is quiet.  Just Brayden and I home.  Jeremy has the boys for their first Thanksgiving hunt (I think they are hunting ducks or geese?).  I am busy cleaning up around the house.  I usually have the TV or radio on as I do things around the house.  This morning it is just quiet.

My head swirls with preparing not for Thanksgiving dinner but for next week.

Brayden is going to Children's for surgery to have his adenoids and tonsils removed on Monday.  We had two pre-op appointments this week.  One for blood work and check-up.  The other for anesthesia.  Our anesthesia meeting was long, too long, two hours too long.  We talked with the NP for a while and then with the anesthesiologist. 

The procedure to have the adenoids and tonsils removed is routine and, for most kids, outpatient.  With all of Brayden's medical needs and medications, we seemed to overwhelm the plans for pre and post surgery.  Brayden is hooked up to his feeding tube for over 20 hours a day, on a ketogenic diet.  He also takes over 10 medications.  With the rule of clear fluids then no fluids X amount of hours before a surgery, we have a hard time doing that for him.  He cannot be put on pedialyte too long because of the ketogenic diet.  Then the total quantity of his medications and flush are too many fluids before a surgery.

During the appointment they considered bringing him in the night before so that he could be on IV fluids and medications.  Then they found that Brayden's surgery is tentatively scheduled for 12:30 p.m. which means we can do his essential medications (seizure meds) that morning.  The ketogenic team is putting together a plan for Brayden's fluids.

The anesthesiologist and the ENT have decided to tentatively schedule Brayden to go to the ICU after the surgery since he struggles with sleep apnea and seizures, which could be aggravated by the procedure.  The swelling that happens after the surgery  can cause be a brief problem for apnea.

While all of these things are put in place to protect Brayden and trying best to prevent any complications, it feels like too much.  They say, "the procedure is routine and he should handle it fine" then come back in the room to say, "we have put in for a bed in the ICU after the surgery"...not something that seems simple and routine to me.

This is the first time Brayden will have a surgery, since his respiratory problems and stay in the ICU back in the spring.  He did have the Botox in August, which was a total of 20 minutes from when I handed him over to when they paged me for his recovery...anesthesia barely counts that as a procedure.

The plan at this point is to have prep phone call on Sunday night with strict instructions from the keto and anesthesia team for his fluids and his medications.  Also to find out the official surgery time.  Monday, we arrive two hours before the procedure.  He goes in the surgery that should take about 45 minutes.  Then Brayden maybe put in the ICU for observation for 23 hours.  If all goes well, he could go home but we were told he could possibly have one more night in the hospital.

The good thing is since Brayden only takes fluids by his feeding tube, we do not have to struggle with eating.  he also has an incredible pain tolerance.

So on this Thanksgiving morning, I am working around the house like when we go on vacation.  Laundry done, fridge cleaned out, all the boys activities/needs situated and bags packed.  And I cannot forget those comfort items and things to pass the time.

But this afternoon, there will be eating.  Eating the dinner just so I can have the dessert.  Gobble, gobble.

 Crafts done by Brayden with the crew at school.