One for the baby book

Colin has been a [somewhat] regular in the ENT department at Sanford over the last 9 months. We were referred to his doctor by our Speech Pathologist who discovered he has a bifid uvula ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bifid_uvula.JPG) and possible submucous cleft palate. What started out as a confirmation appointment for the two previous oddities ended up showing that Colin’s tonsils and adenoids were extremely large and contributing to his speech and sleep apnea. Fast forward to July 10, 2013: the little man went under general anesthesia for a tonsillectomy and modified adenoidectomy. The doctor removed the majority of the adenoids up in the nasal cavity but left a larger portion toward the bottom so as to prevent VPI and nasal regurgitation (due to the bifid uvula).

Going in to surgery, Colin was pretty apprehensive. His mood that morning was pretty cheery though and it made his day to see this in his hospital room.

His very own room! We also gave him a new puppy that John told him was going to help him be brave. He latched on instantly and named him Fuzzy Lovey Puppy. :) 

Everyone at Sanford was fantastic in making it a special and comforting experience for Colin (& us!). He rode down to the OR in a wagon, got to pick out stickers, and even had lovey bear and puppy in the OR with him. The surgery itself lasted about a half an hour and we spent some time visiting with Dr. Elliott afterward. He was very pleased with how things went and also decided to treat Colin for chronic sinusitis based on what he saw in the nasal cavity. Add 3 weeks worth of meds to the post-op fun!  Because of our long visit, Colin was already awake when I arrived in the PACU – I could hear his moaning/wimpering from the hallway. After a quick shot of Morphine and a brief nap he was much more alert and comfortable.  The look on his face when he first saw me will forever be in my memory. :(  It’s amazing what apple juice, popsicles, and ice cream can do for a kid, though…these photos were taken maybe 10 minutes apart, shortly after we got back up to his room.

We hung out at the hospital for a little while until Colin's fluid intake was acceptable.  It's hard to believe we were at the hospital around 7:30 AM and home by noon!  Colin’s recovery was picture perfect.  He was pretty much back to himself the next day.  We administered Tylenol and Motrin around the clock for 5 days and stuck to the liquid diet for the first 3 days, slowing adding in soft foods (had first scrambled egg and mashed potatoes 4 days post-op). Both grandmas were able to spend some time helping Colin recover and we couldn’t be more thankful.  He was able to stay home an entire week and was back to daycare on the 8th day post-op. We’ll be back to speech next week to see how things are sounding!