Date: 1/30/2007
Subject: Kaytlin’s Surgery

Jan 30, 2007 The Night Before Surgery
Update for today:
The doctor’s office changed the time of Kaytlin’s surgery from 9 AM until 7:30 AM. She was the first procedure scheduled for the day. We left the house at 3:30 AM to get to the Clinic by 6:30. We thought we had plenty of time, Wrong answer. Somewhere between the last time we checked the weather, and the time we left home, things changed drastically! We spent the first two hours of our trip north driving through whiteout conditions. The only other vehicles we saw were big trucks. We never saw a snowplow until we were what is normally an hour north of home, and then they were heading south, not north. Our top speed for the first two hours was about 20 MPH. We finally drove out of the heavy, blowing snow about 3/4 of the way. The rest of our trip to The Clinic was fine…until the GPS system told us to go the wrong direction! I pointedly remember is sitting on the front seat, a ball of nerves, praying silently that God keep us safe and get us to the hospital on time. I don't think I have ever prayed for Travel Mercies like I did during that LONG ride to the hospital. God was most certainly guiding Allen's hands as he drove the car without being able to see the highway.

We got to there about 20 minutes late, and they were very nice. They processed our paperwork lightning fast, and we took her into the pre-op area around 7:15, we met with anesthesiology, the orthopedic surgeon, and a variety of nurses. I warned the anesthesiology resident that Kaytlin was a "tough stick" and that I was thankful that they would wait until she was asleep to put in her IV. He kind of laughed at me, and said he thought they would be able to handle it. I prayed that he was right. I carried Kaytlin back to the OR around 7:45 AM, and held her and sang in her ear as they put her to sleep. Her anesthesiologist was wonderful. He kept assuring me that God would bless her, and he actually whispered a prayer as she drifted to sleep, what a calming effect that simple prayer had on my nerves. Although I have carried Andrew back to the OR many times, carrying Kaytlin back was no less stressful, I don't think you ever get used to walking away from the ones you love more than life. Around 8:30 AM, they called the information desk, and we were informed they had made the first incision. About eleven hours later, not the 4-6 we expected, and after the waiting area had been deserted for hours, they called us back to the PACU to talk to Dr. B. He was pleased with the correction they were able to achieve with the surgery. However, they could not splint her feet in the optimal position, as when they stretched them that far, she lost the pulse in both feet respectively. Therefore, we are going to step back and try to stretch the arteries through a series of cast changes. The anesthesia resident came in and told us that, yes, Kaytlin was a very tough stick, and they were extremely happy they had decided to start the IV after she was asleep. It took them 20 sticks to find a good vein, and even then, it was positional. After an hour in the PACU, we accompanied Kaytlin to her room. Here is where the frustrating part comes in. A few people had told us that we would have our own room. This was not the case. Not only did we have roommates, but roommates from He**. They had everything pushed against the curtain into our side of the room. That made it so crowded that Allen and I could not stand beside Kaytlin at the same time. There was no place to put our things and only one chair. The temperature in the room was set at 87°. Poor Kaytlin was sweating to death, so Allen turned the heat down to 78°. This completely ticked the woman whose daughter was in the other bed off. From that point on, we listened to her complain that we were trying to FREEZE her baby. She continually called Kaytlin a crybaby, and turned the volume on her TV up louder and louder as the evening progressed. Poor Kaytlin is now in a crib, sweating to death, and trying to sleep through all three sequels of Superman. Every time an explosion went off, she jumped out of her skin. They left the TV on until 4:30 AM. I complained to the nurse, and asked if there were any other rooms available. She said they were full. By this point, I had been up for over 24 hours. Allen had gone down to the parent lounge to try to get a couple of hours of sleep before he got up to drive home to go to work. Kaytlin is freaking out in a crib, and I was so frustrated with everyone and everything that I was ready to cry.


I believe part of Kaytlin’s anxiety was due to flashbacks of being taken from her foster family and returned to the orphanage to sleep in a very similar crib before we brought her home. I also fear that there were things that she remembered from her surgical experiences in China that had her terrified. When we registered before surgery, I requested a twin bed, and was told she was too young. When we got to the floor post op and we saw the crib I asked again for a twin bed and explained to the charge nurse that Kaytlin was NOT going to rest in the crib because she sleeps in twin bed at home. I also explained that we had only been home three months, and that she was used to sleeping with me beside her. I was told they would need to locate one somewhere else in the hospital, and perhaps they could find one before we were discharged! Gee Thanks. The next morning after Allen left for work, Kaytlin’s nurse came in and asked me how I was doing. BIG mistake. I gave her an earful and broke down in tears, however, I think perhaps I did a bit of educating about some of the issues our girls may have after being adopted. (I know every child is different, and so is every situation…but I think as healthcare providers, they need to be aware of the "unique" emotional needs of our daughters.) The nurse was AMAZING, and turned our stay around. She found us a twin bed, ordered me a guest tray to eat, and promised me if the family sharing our room were not discharged by 11:00 AM, she would be moving us to a different room. They left around 11:15, and the bed arrived around noon. They brought it in, and with the help of about eight staff members, we got Kaytlin settled. She was in pain, hooked to an IV, had ice packs wrapped around her legs, pillows to keep them elevated, and she was simply miserable. However, it is amazing what a different bed can do. She cuddled up beside me and finally slept, and so did I. We honestly slept the afternoon away. She started to have muscle spasms around 5:00 PM as the anesthetic worked its way out of her system. They gave her some other medicine, and that seemed to help. Allen came back that night, and life was good. She was discharged around 9:00 on Thursday, and we made it home by 12:00. She settled in on the couch, purple splints propped on a pillow and has done remarkably well. She slept through the night in her own bed, with only a few restless spells.

We return to The Clinic on Tuesday, February 6, for another trip to the OR. At this time, she will have the original splints removed, and the doctors, both ortho and plastics, will examine the incision site and see how things are healing. They will apply casts, and she will wear them for four weeks.

She is an amazing little girl. Her life has been thrown in to such a whirlwind in the past four months…and she still smiles. God is good.