Nisee's Surgery

On Saturday while we all went out to celebrate my 30th birthday Nisee and Lacee stayed at my parents.  While there she was stopping breathing when she was sleeping.  Now she had done this before but it was always associated with a cold and her nose was all runny so we always chalked it up to her trying to breath through her nose and she just couldn't.  However this weekend she was all clear and was still stopping breathing.  So Monday I called her ENT and they couldn't see her until Friday and I felt the fact that she was stopping breathing was more important and couldn't wait an entire week.  So I had heard good things about PENTA and so I called them and they could see her at 10am the next morning.  Dr. Scurry was great!  He took one look at her tonsils and said they were enormous and that they needed to come out.  He said he didn't like to do surgery as young as she is and that he could try some steroids but that he didn't think that it would make enough of an impact to prevent surgery for a lengthy period of time.  He also said that if any of her adenoids had grown back he would remove that tissue as well.  Her surgery was scheduled for the following Monday February 13th. 

The day of surgery she went to Hawthorne Surgical and Dr. Scurry did the surgery.  He had seen that her tubes from last June had come out already and so he was going to just take them out of the canal so that they wouldn't be obstructing any view of the ear.  At her Pre-op appt. the PA said she thought there was some fluid but because of the tube it was hard to tell and Dr. Scurry was going to check on that as well.  When he was in he removed her tonsils and there was some adenoid tissue he had to remove and he also put her 3rd set of tubes in.  When he went in he saw that there was fluid in both ears and in the right ear it was the really thick kind and in the left it was clearer but he still felt that tubes should be inserted because it wouldn't make sense to risk it and then have to insert them again.  So as he said it she got the works.  The hardest part of surgery is when they wake up.  Being so young they don't understand the disorientation.  She actually did even better this time than she did the 1st 2 times she was put to sleep.  The 1st time was the worst but that was because she was so young I think.  She started out drinking really well and that was great news.  She did have to stay in the hospital overnight for observation because of her age.  She had an IV that was driving us all crazy.  Since she had the surgery done at the outpatient center and needed to stay overnight she was transported via ambulance to Forsyth medical center pediatrics.  She screamed until we got into the ambulance and then she was like hey we are going for a ride this is cool and she was fine until we got into the room and put her in the bed and then she started screaming again!  Nisee was the only patient in the entire pediatric unit!  The nurse said it was common because all the sick patients are sent to Brenners and they normally only see post op patients. 

Nisee did a good job drinking and eating but she kept asking for stuff she couldn't have and her IV was driving her crazy.  I didn't sleep much that night and she didn't either.  However the next day she was allowed to have her IV removed and she perked up after that because she could move around.  We were allowed to come home at 1:30pm that day.  The doctor said that days 3-5 would be the worst!  She started refusing to drink and eat.  Oh and taking the pain medication was an major fight!  It came to a point where we would have to force liquids in her but we were determined she wasn't going to get dehydrated.  The nurse calling to check on her was really happy to hear us say that because them getting dehydrated is much worse than making them drink.  Day 5 she started to really get back to her old self as far as her attitudes and actions.

As much as I hated to put her through another surgery it was well worth it.  From the 1st night you could hear a difference.  She didn't stop breathing at all that night.  She was still a little stuff sounding from the swelling but by night 3 most of that was gone and now she sleeps as quite as Lacee does!  It has changed her entire demeanor and she is so much happier and when she is resting she is really resting!  We go back March 15th for a hearing check and a follow up appt for the tubes!   Below are a few pictures from her stay in the hospital!  I must say I was very happy with Forsyth and their care with Nisee!  Now I am just waiting on the bills to start rolling in.  Of course we couldn't do this last year when we had already met our deductible and coinsurance. 

Before the surgery with her Monkey and Bear

before surgery with her Cow from Aunt Carrie

In bed after the surgery in Forsyth hospital

Nisee in bed with her Cow from Aunt Carrie, Her Bear from Grandma Mary, Her Bear from the Hawthorne, Her Monkey, her Bunny and her 2nd Monkey from Aunt Tara and Uncle Justin

Going for a ride before we left on valentines day

Going for a ride through the hospital on valentines day

I have been very very happy with Dr. Scurry so far!  He was just great!  I read online that he has 4 kids of his own so maybe that is why.  Her previous ENT was good as well but I have just been really happy with Dr. Scurry and so far I recommend him highly!