Relieved It's Over

After consulting with Dr. Mann at the beginning of the week and discovering that Will's ears were not improving, we decided to go ahead with tube surgery.  This ear infection began on December 22 and after two different antibiotics and a Rocephin shot, his ears were still full of fluid.  The fluid was actually thick and Dr. Mann described it as "glue ears" because it had the consistency of Elmer's glue.  We were thankful to be put in on the emergency schedule for Saturday.   Will woke up as I was getting dressed at 4:30 and stayed awake until it was time to take him for the procedure.  He was happy and laughing and all my worries about him being hungry or thirsty were forgotten.  He didn't fuss or cry once and I hated knowing that he had no idea what was about to happen.  He played happily in the waiting room with me and Nana and squealed loudly as he tried to escape down the hall over and over again.

Children under a year aren't given any medication to "relax" before the procedure.  He was such a champ, smiling and flirting with all the nurses and unafraid by his surroundings.  I loved on him, wrapped him in his blanket and handed him to the nurse.  He didn't cry at all, even as he lost sight of me and Nana. 

The procedure only took minutes and he did wonderfully.  I could hear him crying as they took him into recovery and the twenty minutes we waited to see him were agonizing.  By the end, I began to hear a different cry.  That's not him, I thought.  There must be another baby in recovery.  As I walked to recovery, I realized it was Will.  He had cried for so long that he didn't even sound the same.  I was so relieved to take him in my arms and whisper to him that I was there.  He cried until we left and finally fell asleep on the way home.

I struggled to get him to rest after we got home.  He would be very happy one moment and inconsolable the next, a common side effect of the anesthesia.  After three hours, he finally went to sleep and he and I both enjoyed a long nap cuddled up beside each other.  He woke up happy and has been wonderful ever since.  I am so grateful that things went so well and that this is behind us and I hope for many winter days with infection-free ears.