Anthony Surgery Day

Yesterday, 2/27/12, we left our house at 5:00 a.m. and arrived at Loma Linda Children's about 5:40. Our check in time was 6:00. I just got Anthony out of bed and brought him in his jammies. When we got there he wanted his clothes on so we changed in the waiting room.

Much happier with his clothes on.

You can see the cyst above his right eyebrow here.

In the pre-surgery area. He was a little overwhelmed by everything but still in good spirits.

His rainbow jammies that he wasn't really impressed with.

The anesthesiologists came out and gave him this mask that smelled like strawberries. The nurse gave him Tylenol and "happy juice". He really got giggly right away. He was so funny.

Some of his comments-

Mommy, why are those curtains laying down?

Why are there curtains here?

Take off my jammies.

My name is Jaileigh Addison!

I want pink bubble gum, purple bubble gum, no pink bubble gum.

When they took him away he was so out of it, I didn't think he cared that I wasn't with him.

Dr. Ray, his plastic surgeon.

The surgery lasted a little under an hour. Loma Linda has a pager/texting system. They texted me, at 7:41, when the surgery started  and let me know how he was doing and then again when it was over at 8:37. The surgery went really well. Dr. Ray said the cyst was bigger than they thought but she was able to get it all. She did layered stitching through his eyelid to minimize scarring. The eyelid has very thin skin so heals very nicely, but also looks very ugly until it heals. The stitches are dissolvable so we don't have to see her again for 2 weeks.

Anthony did NOT do well coming out of his anesthesia. He was disoriented and frustrated and if you know Anthony he does not handle that well. He fought for 50 minutes, screaming, thrashing, ripping his lines off, and they finally decided to resedate him. I was sweating like crazy from trying to hold him and he was sweating from fighting so hard. He came out of the second sedation much better. He was still mad and frustrated but we were able to talk him down. From that point on whatever he wanted, he got. His nurse pretty much threw in the towel. While he was resedated she hooked him back up to everything. He wanted it all off again so he got it off. He wanted his clothes on, shoes on and wanted to go. He drank his sippy cup full of water and held it down so they let us go.

Resedated. Thankfully we were able to save his I.V. line from the thrashing so that they could resedate.

Ready to go home. He got to take his monkey and blanket back with him to surgery. When he was back there they dressed his monkey up like a Dr. He didn't like it and wanted it off. I hurried and took a picture first.

We stopped at the gift shop so he could pick out a prize. The only thing he wanted was pink bubble gum, 2 packs of it too! They didn't have it so he settled for the princess purse, 2 packs of green gum and a pink balloon that said ,"It's A Girl". I do NOT allow the kids to chew gum so this was a big deal that I promised he could have it.

On the drive home he decided we needed to stop at another store to get his pink bubble gum. (Don't worry, I fixed his seat belt after this picture.)

Daddy stayed home with the 4 little munchkins. He got them ready to visit Ms Betsy by 8:00, fed them breakfast, cooked fried chicken legs for lunch and they even drew Anthony pictures. He did a great job!

Jake, Annie, Jaileigh and Michael showing off their pictures for Anthony.

Sitting by Daddy. We were under strict orders from Dr Hanna, the anesthesiologist to not leave Anthony alone. Where ever he went we had to go with him and usually had to carry him. He was so off balance from the anesthesia.

He woke up disoriented and upset at nap time. He wanted held finally. After his nap he finally seemed to feel better and really acted "normal" again.  

Hanging out with dad.

Blowing a "bubble" with his bubble gum.

Annie wanted to be like Anthony.

Playing with the train.

Watching Mary Poppins.

Jaileigh, Michael, Anthony, Jake

Anthony and Jake

Jaileigh and Michael

Finally, a smile from her.

Jake wanted a band-aide too.

Jaileigh said that tomorrow she is getting surgery.

Michael is just happy.

Jake

Annie had a really hard time today. She cried most of the day and was just inconsolable.

Please excuse the jello that has been on his face all day. He didn't want to be touched around his face so I just let him be.

Ready for bed. He refused to put his jammies on so I'm wondering if that has to do with putting new jammies on before surgery today. He also doesn't ever want to take his shoes off.

Such a cute kiddo! Thanks for all your prayers everyone!

A Loma Linda Visit

I really should be in bed but I am so excited about this post. Anthony had a doctor appointment today with a plastic surgeon at Loma Linda. He has a little dermoid cyst above his right eyebrow and his opthamologist really wants it taken care of. We went in today for a consult.

I checked in and they sent me to another office to update my insurance. The lady that helped us was so friendly. She helped me over to her office, chatted, played with the kids, helped me back to plastic surgery. While we were talking I found out she used to work for Dr Jacobsen, my infertility doctor. She still does his insurance stuff for him. Anyway, she came back over and asked if she could take a picture. For some reason I don't like people taking pictures of my kids but since she worked for Jacobsen I let her. I snapped a picture at the same time.

Michael, Jakob, Jaileigh, Anthony and Annie

After a long 20 minute wait we were finally showed back to a room. Michael and Jakob were playing memory in the window sill and Anthony was playing on the ipad. 

 

You can kind of see the cyst in this picture. He does have to have the cyst removed. It has actually made a dent in the bone so the doctor advised us to remove it. Surgery is scheduled in February. It will be a quick outpatient surgery but because of his health history {being a 28 week multiple in the NICU for 2 months} the surgery will be done at Loma Linda Childrens Hospital.

Michael and Jake

Jaileigh

Annie

After the doctor appointment we went upstairs to see Dr Jacobsen and Dr Corselli in the infertility clinic. They haven't seen the quads since they were little and they were shocked to see baby Annie! Dr. Corselli and I had another conversation about how I got 4 non-identical babies from a 2 embryo transfer. She has a couple of good ideas of what may have happened.  

Dr Corselli and the gang.

We drove over to the Childrens Hospital next. I thought I would take a picture of how we travel these days. Annie is in the stroller and I have Jake push her (with my help). He is my runner so giving him an assignment keeps him in place. The other three hold hands and we all walk together.

We were going to visit the MFM (my high risk OB office) but it was lunch time and the kids were pretty tired so we went straight to the NICU. We were so lucky to see our primaries! So many of them were working. I talk to the kids about the girls who took care of them when they were born so they recognized the nurses names.

Lindy was Anthony's special nurse. He gave her the biggest hug when he saw her.

Jakob ran over to Jessica when he saw her. Those two have a special bond!

Sharon rotated with all the babies but I think Jaileigh was her favorite. She loved to dress her up! Tabitha was Michael's. I remember having to beg her to primary for me.

 Annie, Mommy, Tabitha/Jaileigh, Lindy/Michael, Anthony, Jake/Jess, Sharon

It was so fun to make the rounds today! I loved it. It brought back so many memories. I'm glad those days are in the past but what good memories I have too!

Nutella Double Trouble

These two disappeared for about 2 minutes one day. This is where I found them, hiding under the counter eating the nutella right out of the jar.

Anthony and Michael- so proud and happy.

No signs of remorse at all!