Millie's Surgery
The day before Millie's surgery, she locked herself in her closet twice. She had several meltdowns that day and confided in us that she was afraid to have surgery.
Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
We needed to be in Atlanta at 7 am, so we decided to book the cheapest (non-killiest)hotel we could find.
Millie's husband came along for the trip.
He slept with me and Millie!! Bad husband!!
Millie brought her husband and her blanket with her to the hospital. The staff reassured us that both items would stay with her the entire time.
She wanted to bring her Mermaid Tail, but we left that in the car.
Millie was just generally being silly.
They tagged her and her husband. The staff got a huge kick out of Roots.
More silliness.
Once the OR was ready, they brought Millie some "silly juice."
It didn't take her long to go from this,
To this.
Once it was time to take her off, she wouldn't let me hug her, but I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
The man of steel did not bat an eye.
While we were waiting, I could feel a slow panic arise inside myself. I kept trying to keep it at bay. There were other kids in there for surgery. Some were even there for eye surgery. One kid was crying and freaking out. I remembered just wishing they would give that kid some silly juice so she would calm down.
I waited in anticipation. Each child that was rolled by looked so peaceful. That gave me hope.
The phone rang and the OR nurse said that the surgery had gone well and Millie was headed to recovery.
It was probably just a few minutes later, but I saw the surgeon in the hallway. I looked to Sean and said, isn't that the doctor? He said yes.
She came in and said everything went really well. It will take a month to determine if the surgery was successful. She gave us some ointment for Millie's eyes and told us that she would see us in about a month.
The OR nurse called again and said that Millie wasn't awake yet. I feel my nerves creeping back up again.
Finally, they roll her in.
She wasn't peacefully sleeping like all the other children.
She was crying.
She could not see.
She was in great distress and pain.
My eyes were flowing with tears, but I couldn't speak.
The nurses, Sean were all touching Millie and trying to make her more comfortable.
Millie starts really getting upset. She doesn't want anyone to touch her.
I had to leave the room.
I went to the bathroom and cried my eyes out.
I threw some water on my face and grabbed a paper towel.
I went back to the room just in time to hear Millie say,
I want my mommy.
I'm here Millie. I'm right here.
I start rubbing her head. Starting near her temple and moving down behind her ear.
I've rubbed her head that way since she was a baby.
They gave Millie morphine.
It seemed like it took forever for that morphine to kick in.
She hated those splints they put on her elbows, but they were afraid she would put her hand to her eyes.
Once we got her calmed down, we took the splints off.
Her demeanor changed after that.
She was much more compliant.
She began to drink apple juice.
She had some Popsicle.
Sean, the man of steel that he is, never wavered.
He never left Millie's side.
He gently wiped all of Millie's bloody tears.
The light bothered Millie a lot.
We could finally take the warm cloth of her eyes.
She could see some, but not very clearly.
Normal.
They told us her vision would clear up over the next few days.
The morphine finally really kicked in.
She fell asleep.
She was in and out of it for the next half hour or so.
All she wanted to do was go home.
They said she could.
She didn't want to put on her clothes, so the hospital let us take the gown.
She took a wheel chair down to the car.
We loaded her up and off we went.
Millie looks at me and says,
"Mommy. You look even better than before."
The Jordan's.
Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
We needed to be in Atlanta at 7 am, so we decided to book the cheapest (non-killiest)hotel we could find.
Millie's husband came along for the trip.
He slept with me and Millie!! Bad husband!!
Millie brought her husband and her blanket with her to the hospital. The staff reassured us that both items would stay with her the entire time.
She wanted to bring her Mermaid Tail, but we left that in the car.
Millie was just generally being silly.
They tagged her and her husband. The staff got a huge kick out of Roots.
More silliness.
Once the OR was ready, they brought Millie some "silly juice."
It didn't take her long to go from this,
To this.
Once it was time to take her off, she wouldn't let me hug her, but I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
The man of steel did not bat an eye.
While we were waiting, I could feel a slow panic arise inside myself. I kept trying to keep it at bay. There were other kids in there for surgery. Some were even there for eye surgery. One kid was crying and freaking out. I remembered just wishing they would give that kid some silly juice so she would calm down.
I waited in anticipation. Each child that was rolled by looked so peaceful. That gave me hope.
The phone rang and the OR nurse said that the surgery had gone well and Millie was headed to recovery.
It was probably just a few minutes later, but I saw the surgeon in the hallway. I looked to Sean and said, isn't that the doctor? He said yes.
She came in and said everything went really well. It will take a month to determine if the surgery was successful. She gave us some ointment for Millie's eyes and told us that she would see us in about a month.
The OR nurse called again and said that Millie wasn't awake yet. I feel my nerves creeping back up again.
Finally, they roll her in.
She wasn't peacefully sleeping like all the other children.
She was crying.
She could not see.
She was in great distress and pain.
My eyes were flowing with tears, but I couldn't speak.
The nurses, Sean were all touching Millie and trying to make her more comfortable.
Millie starts really getting upset. She doesn't want anyone to touch her.
I had to leave the room.
I went to the bathroom and cried my eyes out.
I threw some water on my face and grabbed a paper towel.
I went back to the room just in time to hear Millie say,
I want my mommy.
I'm here Millie. I'm right here.
I start rubbing her head. Starting near her temple and moving down behind her ear.
I've rubbed her head that way since she was a baby.
They gave Millie morphine.
It seemed like it took forever for that morphine to kick in.
She hated those splints they put on her elbows, but they were afraid she would put her hand to her eyes.
Once we got her calmed down, we took the splints off.
Her demeanor changed after that.
She was much more compliant.
She began to drink apple juice.
She had some Popsicle.
Sean, the man of steel that he is, never wavered.
He never left Millie's side.
He gently wiped all of Millie's bloody tears.
The light bothered Millie a lot.
We could finally take the warm cloth of her eyes.
She could see some, but not very clearly.
Normal.
They told us her vision would clear up over the next few days.
The morphine finally really kicked in.
She fell asleep.
She was in and out of it for the next half hour or so.
All she wanted to do was go home.
They said she could.
She didn't want to put on her clothes, so the hospital let us take the gown.
She took a wheel chair down to the car.
We loaded her up and off we went.
Millie looks at me and says,
"Mommy. You look even better than before."
The Jordan's.
Comments