Fixing Little Ears (Part 2)

We got a phone call the night before LanLan's surgery telling us we were to be at the hospital at 7am and the surgery was scheduled for 9am. We packed our bags and put them in the car before we went to bed that night, that way all we needed to do in the morning was to put the kids in the car for our 6:15 departure.

Things went very smoothly in the morning, dropped the boys off at the babysitter and headed to the hospital. LanLan was so excited about the whole thing. When we arrived we were taken to a room where my sweet little girl got into her hospital gown. When she was all settled Mommy & Daddy gave her a "Happy Surgery Day" present which included a new Tag Reader book, a sticker book and a First Grade Homework book - she loved them and began right away playing with them. Soon after, the nurse came, also with a present for my little orchid. The present was a beautifully crocheted blanket. The nurse then began to take LanLan's vitals and asked a few questions. We had to wait in the room for a while but LanLan was enjoying her books and watching TV.

LanLan LOVED the attention

Kirsten & LanLan prepped for surgery

Once the nurse came in and said it was time to go things went very fast. They wheeled LanLan down to the pre-op room. We were only there long enough for them to give her an anxiety medicine and sign a consent form. It was a pleasant surprise when they told us we both could go into the surgery room with LanLan until she feel asleep. We barely had gotten our suites on before they were wheeling LanLan into the surgery room. We held her hand as the anesthesiologist put the mask on to put her to sleep. We told LanLan to breath and that this medicine would make her sleep. She was very willing and actually tried to go to sleep. The anesthesiologist was great, very good with LanLan and made us all feel very comfortable.

Once LanLan was asleep we were escorted out of the surgery room, picked up our stuff and sat and waited in the waiting room. The surgery took about 20 minutes or so and then the doctor came out and talked to us. He said that everything went smoothly and as planned. He described the fluid in her ears as rubber cement and said that because it had been there for so long that her eardrum was inverted. With time, he said, it should return to normal and her hearing should be fine. We were so excited!! It has been one and half years of us struggling with her hearing . . . and now something has finally be done to help!!

coming out of anesthesia

We waited about another 15 minutes before LanLan was wake and we could go into recovery with her. She was a bit loopy coming out of the anesthesia but still quite pleasant. She wanted to talk but couldn't get many words out. At one point she lifted up her doll, told us to look and just started to laugh. She also was insisting that they hadn't put the tubes in her ears yet.

Once she was awake and alert enough they brought us back to a hospital room where a nurse rechecked her vitals and gave her popsicles and drinks. She watched a little more TV and then we were able to leave. She was still a little loopy and unsteady walking so they gave us a wheel chair to take her to the car.

LanLan was too out of it to smile or even sit up for the camera

We picked up our boys and then headed to Taco Bell for lunch. It was amazing to see LanLan already running and jumping around and we could already tell that her hearing was much improved!! 

My little orchid is so strong and bounces back so quickly from things, I can't believe it sometimes. She did amazing through everything. Way to go girl!! I love you and I'm glad that I can now whisper that in your ear and you can hear it!!!