Tubes, the follow up (or, why don't they just throw my kid down the stairs while they are at it!?)

we'd been talking with the boy about what to expect - he was going to the hospital. that he'd fall asleep. and when he woke up his ears would be a little bit of an owie but not for long. he seemed to process that ok. and the morning of he was a champ. he didn't want to wear the backwards gown (who does?) or the ID bracelet but there wasn't much chance of him getting lost in the shuffle. he'd be the only mostly naked 2 year old in the OR with a blue blanket and a stuffed elephant.

i was admittedly nervous leading up to this moment. i had images of the boy being wheeled away on a gurney down the hallway, screaming - don't leave me!!! you know, the kind of thing that would haunt him and require much therapy later. but, no, he was pretty much fine.

he was barely gone 30 minutes. within 35 minutes i was checking the ID bracelet that was taped to his leg along with the IV because i was not prepared for the person that returned. Apparently people come out of anesthesia in different moods. they can be loopy, lovey, say funny things, or combative. the boy falls under the category of vietnam flashback. this i was not prepared for. the wife has a better understanding of these things since she sees it as part of her job. i was doing my best to keep from having to be the second person she'd have to keep under control.

the boy was protesting greatly, to put it mildly. and though i knew with my mind that the staff at the hospital had done an excellent job with my son, my heart was fairly distraught. what devious torture did my boy go through in that short 30 minutes? i mean, why didn't they just take him and throw him down the stairs while they were at it?!!

needless to say by the time we were back in the van on the short drive home - some mere 70 minutes or so from when we first arrived - the boy was quiet and nearly asleep but i was in tears. it was a bit much for me to take. a couple hour nap helped everyone involved. but it was still another several hours before i felt fully recovered. the boy managed much better then i did.

so,apologies but all we get for this experience is the text only version. i just didn't feel up for some great multimedia extravaganza. maybe if he ever gets his tonsils out.