under the knife

so Sam's BIG surgery and little surgery all went down the same day- Last Thursday. I had readied myself to be away from work, readied myself to be a full time nurse and tried to prepare Gabe (my 8 year old) for the morning of....except i wasn't ready. In reality John was much more prepared because he was able to take time off and so the pre-op consults with Sam and our surgeon (kudos to Moore Orthopaedic and Dr. Hydorn!!!)- We checked in at 6am Thursday morning. We had to wake up Sam and Gabe at 545am...we live literally 3 minutes from the hospital which was great. Gabe was a groggy mess and Sam was hyper and happy...seriously this boy is the best  early waker-upper ever! Anyhow we waited in the ever colorful rain forest themed "big waiting room" and had Johns dad come to watch Gabe for a bit...only John and I could accompany Sam to the pre-op patient room.

Sam was giddy to wear these clothes :)

I had to take Gabe to school and relive Johns dad who had to go to work...so as Sam finished having vitals checked and we met with his "team" - i left him and John to hang out in the pre-surgical area and walk around - there's a fun play room and wagons to be rode.

I got back just as they took Sam back to the surgical area. i waited for a while in the top waiting room to get a surgery start time- which was 8:09....

John came back from feeding the dogs and getting me coffee and we chose to wait in the downstairs big waiting room- it wasn't as claustrophobic and we could come and go to the outside area for walks....we were told because both feet would be operated on...and since the left was much more extensive than the right- it would be between 3 1/2 and 4 hours....a long time....we napped a big, i read Self magazine and got dedicated to a new eating plan...even began making grocery lists....john read a book...i was antsy and was happy to get hourly updates from surgery....they called us first at 915 to say they were still on the first leg...then within a half hour to say they began the left....then finally near noon we got the call that they were "closing" and to come upstairs.

We got up there and John went back to recovery...i was a bit nervous about seeing him in too much pain *that would come later anyway

The doctor met with us for a bit and felt we should stay one, if not two nights....Sam's left leg- tendons and all, including the calf muscle and foot- underwent extensive work....he would be in a lot of pain and his leg may have muscle spasms that would be incredibly painful- .....we say the brunt of that pain all Thursday afternoon and evening...into the night. He was sidetracked for a little while between 6 and 8 when a former student, and girl who has watched Sam in the past, came to visit. She was the only one to come :) But it cheered Sam up imensley. He got a few pieces of candy, a balloon and got to play with her I-phone. 

Otherwise, our evening consisted trying to help Sam endure muscle spasms and pain.Sam would have intense spasms and scream out....shake- and stiffen up...i thought he was having a seizure the first time it happened. They gave him morphine, vicodin and valium....he would get calmer for maybe only 30 minutes to an hour and then the raging pain would start again. This happened constantly from noon, after surgery until the next morning at about 5am, when he finally slept for only 2 hours....our first sleep that lasted longer than half an hour. John, Sam and I also took a little jaunt around our floor in the wagon, that cheered him up alot.

Later that after noon he slept from 1230- 330, finally....if his pain remained intense and required morphine, and the muscle spasms continued then we would have had to stay a second day. Thankfully they subsided around 1230 - he remained morphine free from that point on...we all had a little nap. 

Finally around 430pm we made it home, by 5pm John was back with his prescriptions- and they both took a long long nap :)

 Thankfully Sam is much better today, Sunday- and has been back to his little strong willed self :)