Getting Ready for the OR

They were pretty organized at the hospital.

We took an elevator to the acute care center.  Tate seemed pretty excited.

We got our visitor badges, with our pictures on them. Then we headed to the waiting area for our official registration paperwork. We passed the twenty or so minutes of waiting by playing mini Connect Four.

After registration was complete, we waited to get called back into the preop area.  We found a section near windows, where there was a pretty cool train display.  It reminded me of Casey's obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine.  We played a couple games of Sleeping Queens. 

Next we went into an area with lots of small-ish "rooms," which were more like alcoves with curtains to provide privacy.  There, the assistant checked Tate's pulse and oxygen levels.  Tate took this quite seriously.

 They gave Tate some flowy pants and a hospital gown top to change into.

And then it seemed like a well-spaced streammof professionals came to see us. There was a nurse who had us sign a couple forms about the specifics of the surgery. And the primary surgeon who stopped by to verify the form (and actually update it to allow for some flexibility.  He also put his initials on Tate’s face so they’d do the procedure on the correct part of his mouth. (I appreciate the caution, but it’d be really weird if they got that wrong even without the initials!)

Tate met with a child specialist who showed him pictures of the operating room and explained how the gas mask would work. She helped him pick out the scent he wanted.

We met with our own nurse, whose job it is to update us throughout the procedure. She said they are very short-staffed today and she is covering for others. I hope that means she is covering for other parent nurses and not that surgeries themselves are under-staffed. She told us what to expect in terms of communication.

Then the anesthesiologist talked with us. He listened to Tate’s chest to make sure it’s safe to do the surgery with Tate’s cold. He said Tate’s lungs sound pretty clear, and Tate said his gentle touch gave him “goodies.”  The surgical fellow stopped by - Dr. Hsieh - who we met way back in December.  And finally the nurse from the surgical team came by. We asked her about the antibiotics they would give Tate because of his allergies and because we don’t know his family history. And we asked about what anesthesia they would use.

When she left, she took our bright, energetic boy with her. And now we wait . . .