Jaylee's Surgery

Jaylee's Wrist Surgery

Resetting of Radius Bone with Pin and Recast

Tues March 30th 11 am

Lancaster General Hospital Day Surgery

Dr James Carson, Ortho Assoc of Lancast

Dr Faulk, Anesthesiologist

We found out on Monday, March 29th at 4pm that Jaylee's fracture had worsened. The first inital xrays showed angualtion of 11 degrees. The 1 week repeat xrays showed a 45 degree angulation. She had begun to c/o pain again Sun night adn Mon during the day. The Dr says that it was a "fluke" that this happened.

So, in true Stringham fashion, we headed to Friendly's to "celebrate Jaylee's big surgery.

She had just gotten her entire class to sign her pink cast, so she was bummed to have it removed so soon. Here's pix for her...

I worked the night before surgery, but Jason said that she did not sleep well... she was given pain meds at 9pm, but was up again at 1am, 3 am, and up for good at 5am. I had 2 messages from her at 5 and 5:10 asking me random questions. I think she was getting pretty nervous.
The rest of us got to sleep in until 8:30 and then the day was off to a quick start.

Jennibelle went to her BFF Serenity's for the day so she wouldn't bored out of her mind at the Hospital.

Good Morning Jaylee!!! She was not up for a photo-op!

(Too Bad, hahaha)

We arrived at LGH at 9:30, 15 mins early but they took us through right away.

Jaylee tends to get a little "silly" or "bizarre" when she's nervous.

She was pretty calm throughout the whole ordeal.

When the Dr called to tell us she was in recovery, he said that we couldn't go back right. He said the Nruse would call when Jaylee wanted us, but he wasn't sure she'd ask for us b/c "she was the most mature 7 yr old" he'd ever operated on.

Yippie... but I WANTED to go be with her.

Jaylee sporting some gorgeous hospital PJs.

She was very unhappy that she had to take off her undies.

I did not know to pack an extra pair, incase she peed herself in the OR, so Tara, the pre-op nurse insisted that she take them off.

Jaylee LIKES to have undies on at ALL times!!!

Jenni always 'laughs' at her, b/c Jenni HATES to have undies on at all times!

(And most times does NOT have them on!!)

Jaylee's surgery was not scheduled until 11:45am but something was changed so they QUICKLY told us she was going early and whisked her away. She did not have time to receive oral Versed but seemed calm enough to be taken away without us. The Anesthesiologist assured us that she would probably NOT need to be tubed, which relieved me!! But then the surgeon walked into the room, initialled her left arm (so they didn't work on the wrong arm) and walked out... we kept expecting him to return but then the OR nurse showed up and said "Let's Go!!". Sherry was very kind to Jaylee... she told her that she wouldn't let the Dr throw away her cast, but also broke the sad news that the hospital did not have purple casts, like Jaylee wanted... just plain, boring white!!!!!

Though I 'knew' she'd be safe, I wanted a pic of us together right then and there.

And away she went...

I made it out of the room and 10 steps down the hall before Jason had to help me walk!

I do that stupid Mommy-thing wher I try to think what my children are thinking and experiencing at any given moment and I kept imagining er smiling and joking with the hospital staff but internally being completely terrified!!!!

IN RECOVERY

This pic is after she recovered a little while.

It was the saddest thing I've ever seen walking into that room!!!

Luckily, she called for one of us to come back there right away!!!!!!!!

She was on her right side, arm propped up (yellow sticky arm in a new cast).

She had silent, effortless tears trickling down her cheek, dripping onto her chest.

She was still soooo tired but I could tell she was really hurting!!!

She had an IV in her right hand, Pulse ox on her right middle finger.

They had to give her 2 doses of Fentanyl 15 mins apart... it was obvious she was in pain. 15 mins after the 2nd dose I was able to talk her into eatting Jello and a poopsicle so that she could take her oral longer lasting pian meds. Once she started eatting, she did great!!! I don't think she stopped eatting for hours! (She had last eaten at 9pm Mon night)

And there it was... Cast #1

Her blue popsicle that turned her lips blue...

quite a bad idea for a recovery room...

she was already pale as can be and barely awake.

Jason was taken back for a sec when he first laid eyes on her after she ate it.

(Only one parent at a time in recovery)

Then she moved to her final room... Post-op, I believe it was called.

She was awake enough to enjoy some TV with Dad while she kept on eatting.

She had a few visitors later that night.

Morgan was so calm and careful around her... it was neat.

She kept nicley rubbing her cast and giving her kisses!!

Mandy, Meg and Ryan also visitted.

Grandma, Nan & Jaylee's BFF Katrina called to check on her.

Jaylee needed her pain meds around the clock for the day.

She was absolutely EXHAUSTED by bed time, but was past the point of no return and couldn't sleep. She kept saying that her heart was racing (which it was) and that she felt weird... all normal symptoms after anestesia, surgery & narcotics BUT it was my daughter so I slept with her on the couch. She finally zonked out around 10 but woke with nightmares a few times. She woke up at 7 am, WIDE AWAKE!!!

She foloow up with her surgeon next Monday. The pin in her wrist is actually sticking out of her skin, under her cast. You can see the bump in her cast and she says she can feel the pin when she moves her hand at all. I questioned to surgeon regarding the need for an antiobiotic but was told it was not necessary since it was a closed reduction... seems weird to me to have a pin sticking out of your bone and not be on antibiotics, but we are watching her closely for signs of an infection.

We've cancelled our trip to the Mathesons' in FL until the fall when she'll be able to truley enjoy herself.