Evelyn has had 6 or 7 R sided ear infections since we picked up on her first at 6 months old. The residual effusion has never really resolved and intermittent inconsolable sleepless nights preceding eardrum ruptures have become our norm. Frequency picked up this winter in Vermont and after round three of abx, the referral was placed to UVMMC. From our first meeting with the exuberent ENT doc we knew we were on track for tubes. A couple months later she was scheduled for a 4 pm surgery time in Burlington. The buildup wasn’t easy. I worried about general anesthesia and second guessed our decision. I felt frustrated that all the effort would give us maybe 6 months of relief (during non-cold season), which may have come anyway. I worried how to keep a toddler NPO for an entire summer day. I made the classic mom move at around midnight the night before and googled other parents’ experiences. Remarkably, it wasn’t filled with horror stories. I still couldn’t sleep.

The morning of I booked up our day and planned naps, play groups etc. until she could have her last popsicle and noon. She was cranky, sad and confused, but generally enjoyed the lemonade and popcicles until she woke from her nap.

We arrived at the hospital and she gowned up. A dose of Tylenol went down pretty easy then Matt was able to walk back with her into the OR. I debated going back with her, but ultimately felt that watching her fall asleep (and the potential for twitching and normal eyes rolling back in her head) felt like too much for me and a memory I didn’t need. Matt returned within 5 minutes to share very little aside from, “she’s ok” and “she did great.”

We were instructed to the waiting room and spent only 20 minutes waiting anxiously until the surgeon came bounding out with a smile and said “all done.”

Accompanying him to the post op room, it was tough to see my tiny human curled up on a big OR bed. A nurse had a hand on her back to keep her side lying and Matt and I were told just to wait until she wakes on her own (5-60 minutes or so…). In the end, it took maybe 5. She was upset, confused, restless and inconsolable for just a few long minutes upon waking. We had a milk bottle ready, which I think was comforting and she settled soon after.

Cipro drops are standard for 3 days. Otherwise, Tylenol if she’s tugging and back to normal antics as usual, including swimming!

As one might expect, the anticipation is worse than the reality. I felt the most emotion in the post op room connecting eyes with other moms holding up their post op kids because it was then that I knew how easy I have it. But I also knew that big procedure or small, emergent or elective, your own kid in pain or fear is almost unbearable. I wish we can continue to be this lucky with our health and hope those other moms strength that I could barely find.