Jayse’s surgery was the first one of the day so we had to be at the hospital by 5 am.  We were lucky that 2 of our doctors coordinated and they were going to do their procedures at the same time.  One was doing the bone graph & pharyngeal flap and the other was putting a tube in his left ear.

With this being Jayse’s 5th surgery and our 3rd one this year alone everything was pretty much routine at this point. We know we have to sit and wait go to the next spot and sit and wait.  We waited in the check in lobby and then headed down to surgery waiting.  Where we waited again.  Then they took us back to pre-op and prepped Jayse, this is where the longest wait is.

Our ear Dr. came by and talked with us about the tube which is pretty standard.  Then the anesthesiologist came in and talked with us.  He told us he was going to give Jayse the loopy medicine to relax him.  So they came back and gave him the medicine.  We were minutes away from him being wheeled off to surgery when the surgeon doing the bone graph finally came in.  He told us that he had made a mistake.  In preparing for Jayse’s surgery he took a look at his file again and realized that he can not in fact have the bone graph surgery.  We were correct weeks ago when we were told he needed a jaw expansion first.  He showed us Jayse’s teeth and how they kind of bow in which is what they need to correct before the bone graph.

We should of known nothing ever goes as planned.  The doctor now said he was still going to do the pharyngeal flap but since he wasn’t able to do the bone graph he wanted to know if he could do a touch up on Jayse’s lip.  He said he could make it look better and give him more of a natural shape to it.  We thought since he was already going to be under might as well.

I was really stressed about this all because Jayse was all ready medicated up so we wouldn’t be able to tell him about the changes until after the surgery.  I didn’t like this at all.  In my mind I just thought him waking up with his lip being cut up would be a terrible feeling.  But there wasn’t much we could do so we’d just deal with it all afterwards.

We knew the surgery was going to take a while so again we were prepared.  I brought our Christmas cards to fill out and Greg watched movies.

We ate breakfast in the hospital cafeteria and then just waited.

Luckily everything went well and it didn’t take as long since we were no longer doing the bone graph.

We were really lucky that my mom came up.  She took care of Jaelee and got her to school.  It was really nice to focus on Jayse and not worry about how to get Jaeele to and from school.

When the surgery was over we went back to post op to wait for Jayse to wake up.  I tell you no matter how many surgeries he or either of the kids have it always takes my breath away seeing them laying there so vulnerable.  I can’t help it but every time I tear up.  It makes it even harder when his lip is all swollen and bloody.  You just want to pick him up and hold him.

Typically after Jayse comes out of the anesthesia if he can drink and keep liquids down we get to go home.  But they were talking about putting him in a room upstairs in Peds.  We talked with the nurse and he said it was just for more observation.  It took quit a while for them to get us upstairs.

When we got upstairs the nurse was talking and it sounded like we were going to be staying there so I asked her.  Is he staying the night here. And she said our surgeon had ordered that he stay over night for observation.  We were completely unprepared for this.

My mom came to see Jayse and while she was there Greg and I took the opportunity to go get lunch.  When we got back she left to go pick Jaelee up for school.

I started to doubt our decision to let the Dr. work on Jayse’s lip.  He looked so uncomfortable and in so much pain.  He would barely talk.  The only thing he did say was what happened to my lip.  We had to explain to him what happened.  It was terrible.

The hospital had told him he could get an xbox to play in his room and he was so excited about that.  It took forever to get it though. While we waited for it we watched the Diary of a Wimpie kid movies.

My mom made it back with Jaelee to visit.  They brought him a giant frog.  After a few hours it was getting time for dinner so my mom took Jaelee home to get something to eat and get ready for school the next day.  Greg went home at the same time as my mom so he could get clothes and items to spend the night with Jayse.

I stayed with Jayse and he wouldn’t talk.  When he needed something he would write it down on a pad of paper.  It was just tearing me up inside seeing him like this.

Eventually he got his xbox and he seemed pretty happy about that.

He played for hours and then we talked him into turning it off and watching another movie.  I left about 11 and headed home.  I bawled the whole way home.  I hated leaving him in the hospital.  I did manage to sleep a bit but woke up early to head back to be with him.

When he woke up all he wanted to do was play more xbox.  He played on that thing until the very last minute.  Right up until they wheeled the wheel chair in there to take him to the car.  We left the hospital about 10:30.

When we got home I dropped Greg and Jayse off and I unfortunately had to go to work but he was in good hands with Greg and my mom.

The next few days were pretty rough.  Jayse was on a blended diet only for 10 days.  It was really hard to find things that he would eat.  We knew ahead of time he would be on blended diet and had prepped him and bought all kinds of stuff he could eat but it’s different when your actually doing it.  All of a sudden he didn’t like anything, didn’t want anything and I’m sure no matter what it was it hurt to eat.

After the weekend both Greg and I had to go back to work.  We are so lucky to have family here.  Jess and Darin graciously watched both our kids for the 3 days before Thanksgiving.  Jess was able to find something Jayse would eat.  The nesquik breakfast mixes.  That’s pretty much all he ate for 7 days.