Thursday, September 2, 2010

It takes a village

Yesterday I had a near panic attack. The Pediatric Surgery Center called with the time for Everett's surgery. We were supposed to be 30 minutes away from our house in Plano at 6:15 am for Everett's surgery. Who would stay with Madeleine after 5:45 am? Who would make sure Madeleine got to school? AHHH!

I thought of all the possibilities: Lee had already arranged to take the day off of work, he could stay with Madeleine while I took Everett to surgery. But last December when Everett had his first round of tubes put in his ears, my mom had come with me and I sat in the backseat with Everett while he threw up on the drive home. I told another mom my dilemma while I was waiting for Madeleine to get out of school and she said that we could just bring a bucket for him. Yes, I could drive Everett by myself for his surgery. But this was a bigger surgery. Yes, they were putting another round of tubes in his ears, but they were also going to remove his adenoids which meant 10 more minutes under anesthesia and they would be putting a breathing tube down his throat. Last time as he was waking up from anesthesia it was so scary, he was like a rag doll and was not like himself at all. I did not want to go through that alone.

It did not seem like I had any other option, but then I began to think of all the people that would be willing to come help. I could ask someone to keep Madeleine over night and then take her to school in the morning. I could ask our wonderful babysitter from church to come spend the night and make sure Madeleine got to school. I decided to call my dad and stepmom who live about an hour away to see if they would be willing to spend the night. They had been planning to drive to the surgical center anyway, but I had been telling them that the surgery would probably be at 9 am like the time before, 6:15 am was another matter entirely! They immediately offered to spend the night and be in charge of Madeleine.

I give God thanks for the village that surrounds us. For the friends, neighbors, and family that would help us at a moment's notice. I give thanks for the wonderful Pediatric Surgery Center that took care of Everett for the second time (first time was last December). I give thanks for Everett's immune system that knew his ear tubes were a foreign body and kicked them out of his ears after 6 months, but immune system could you please learn to love the ear tubes. Please stay in Everett's ears longer this time! The average kid keeps them in for a year! Please be average!

I give thanks for alarm clocks that woke us up at 5:15 am. I give thanks for Everett who heard us getting ready and started moving around on his own at 5:30 am. I give thanks that he never fussed when we went in his room to get him ready and I give thanks that everything went great during the surgery. The doctor said that Everett's adenoids were enlarged and inflamed and that his ear drum had sunken-in due to negative pressure. I pray that this surgery will make a difference and that in a month when Everett takes his next hearing test he will hear the high pitched sounds that he did not hear during his last hearing test.

Right now Everett is taking his nap, I am so glad that even though we got the prescription for the baby Vicodin filled, the pharmacy said it was okay if we didn't take it since we didn't feel like Everett needed it. And Everett did not throw up on the way home!

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and God will sustain you."

1 comment:

Tara Rehmeier said...

I am so glad to hear that Everett did well during the surgery. I know exactly what you and Lee are going through. Caden got his first set of tubes in Feb. 2008 and they were both out by summertime, so he wasn't close to 'average' either! He had his second set of tubes and adenoids removed in December 2009 and although they are both already out, he made it through the 2009/2010 ear infection season with no other hiccups. I hope and pray that these second set of tubes do the trick for your little guy!