Preparing for surgery

[HeidiC]

I have a 5 year old girl and almost 7 year old boy.  I have told them that I have an owie in my ear that the Drs have been taking pictures of and have decided that they need to fix the owie.  I don't want to use the word tumor or things like that, because I don't want them to hear the word elsewhere and decide that they need to worry about it.  They know that I will probably be at the hospital for about a week and will come home with a cut and stitches on my head(I was trying to prepare them for what they would see when I come home).

They seem to be taking it well and are more worried about missing me than the actual surgery, though they seem to be taking that in stride too.  I think they may be taking it so well because they are already used to their Daddy coming and going so much that having a parent gone for a week isn't really a big deal.   I must say though that I am not looking forward to telling them goodbye on my way to the hospital.  I actually think they are looking forward to it in a way, since their daddy will be home for a while and their cousins will be visiting while I am in the hospital so that my sister can help watch them.

Other than my sister and her family coming out, and my husband coming home, there is no one else that I can really count on to help.  A couple of neighbors have offered help, but its the type of thing that one has to wait and see for if you know what I mean.  My sister will likely only be staying for as long as I am in the hospital, so that my husband can spend a lot of time there with me.  My sister has 4 kids-8, 5, and 2 yo twins, and the general concensis is that I won't be able to tolerate the noise of our combined 6 kids when I come home after the surgery.  She may stay for a day or 2 after to help keep my kids happy, but that will have to be a wait and see kind of thing.

Thanks for the kind thoughts and the helpful information.  I am keeping good thoughts in mind for you as well, Heidi, for your upcoming treatment and for the others in their continued recovery!

~HeidiC

[leapyrtwins]

Good luck, Heidi and Godspeed.

Personally I don't think all the kids - and their noise - will bother you.  Chances are you'll be tremendously fatigued when you get home and you'll sleep a lot.

As for the neighbors, although it's hard, ask them for specific things - like making a meal for your family, taking your children for 2 hours, etc.  Sometimes people offer to help, but "help" can be vague and it's easy to not follow through; plus it's hard to determine what someone else needs.  If you ask for something specific, it's easier for the helper to commit to and they don't have to figure out what might be helpful.

Just my two cents,

Jan

[Cheryl R]

We have never told our almost 8 yr old granddaughter exactly either what I have been thru with 2 surgeries when she was 2 and the last when she was 4 1/2.        She always looked at my bandage and then back to playing.       Her sister is 4 now and they are around me alot and part of the time remember that my hearing is not like theirs and come by to talk and not yell from the next room.              The oldest still looks in my ears and wonders about it all since the ear looks just fine.     She was not around for the very first surgery almost 10 yrs ago.            We will tell her in time about it.                      These little sweeties has been what helped keep me going thru all this!     Just glad I have got to hear them and babysit them.              Cheryl R

[Cheryl R]

Thank you Aaron for the compliment.     I am just glad to be able to help esp the Univ of Iowa ANers on what to expect and hints about the hospital and routine.                  Cheryl R

[sarahinPA]

One of the biggest things people helped me with was making meals for my boyfriend and I. Although we had more lasagna than one family should eat in a year, it was a great way to make dinners for us, without much work. Hopefully your neighbors will be as kind as mine, and will help in that way!

Sarah

[Heidi in Omaha]

Final count-down time until surgery on the 15th, less than 10 days. It's getting real. Thanks to this forum, I feel very well informed and in good company.

[HeidiC]

Heidi,

Good luck on the 15th!  Let us know how you are doing, when you are able to get online.

Heidi

[Itheus]

Yes, definitely come back and let us know how it went!


Aaron

[mk]

Heidi,

good luck. Your surgery will be over soon and you will be able to go back to your sweet kids in no time. Take good care of yourself and give your body plenty of time to heal. We will be looking forward to hearing your news.

Marianna

[Heidi in Omaha]

Hello, everyone! This is Heidi's husband, Jason typing for her. She wanted me to give you an update about her surgery and what has happened since then.

The surgery itself went very well. The surgeons were able to remove the entire tumor, and the surgery was a success. Heidi went into the ICU for monitoring as she was coming out of the anesthesia, and everything looked like it was on track. About 10:00 the next morning, Heidi started having some difficulty breathing. When the nurses did their regular neurological checks, Heidi was becoming less and less responsive. The doctor ordered a CT scan. While they were doing the scan, Heidi stopped breathing. The team immediately put her on a ventilator. As the hours dragged by, heidi's condition slowly stabilized. Apparently, heidis brain started to swell after the surgery. The sweeping put pressure on her brain stem, affecting her lower brain functions. In addition, heidi became very weak on her right side and needs to have therapy to regain her ability to swallow. Over the course of the next week and a half, the swelling gradually subsided, and Heidi was moved out of intensive care. In order to be able to discharge her sooner, Heidi underwent surgery to place a G-tube into her stomach.

She continues to improve every day. Her spirits are high, and she has the support of many friends and family members. With God's help, she will be moved out of the hospital and into acute rehab next week.

A friend of ours has started a care page for her. If you are interested in regular updates, you can visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/heidischmidt.

Thank you for being such a community of supporters and encouragers for Heidi leading up to this surgery. Things have not gone the way we wanted them to, but I really appreciate the support that you have and will continue to give Heidi as she recovers. Thank you!

[CHD63]

Jason .....

Thank you so much for letting us know about Heidi, even though it is not the news we were hoping for!

Please tell her that her AN Forum friends are right here cheering her on for what we truly hope is a rapid recovery from these unusual set-backs.

Many, many thoughts and prayers.

Please continue to let us know how she is doing as you are able.

Clarice

[Kaybo]

Hi Jason!
I, too, am sorry for the way that things have turned out for Heidi.  However, I am living proof that even bad outcomes can be overturned with a lot of work and time - and a sense of humor and a good attitude doesn't hurt.  Please feel free for you or Heidi to PM me or I'd be more than happy to chat with you on the phone - let me know.

My prayers are with you BOTH as you begin this journey together - you WILL get thru this - lean on each other and the Lord for strength and guidance!

K   

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Jason ~

We really appreciate the informative update on Heidi.  Of course, we're sorry to learn that she encountered post-op complications but we're also glad to know that she is improving and in good spirits.  I trust that the therapy will be effective, the feeding tube can be removed and your wife can return to a more normal existence fairly soon.  Meanwhile, we thank you for having the consideration to post an update on Heidi's behalf and look forward to seeing more as she progresses.  Perhaps, from Heidi, herself.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Jim   

[leapyrtwins]

Jason -

I'm so sorry to hear that Heidi had complications from her AN surgery and things didn't go as smoothly as they should have.

Tell Heidi to hang in there and keep her spirits up - having a positive attitude will help her immensely in her recovery.

Hugs, kisses, and prayers to her - and to you.

Best,

Jan