emmy and the tubes

Tubes have become such a common procedure for toddlers that I thought it would be helpful to post about our experience with them.

Our appointment was set for 6am on Friday morning. The nurses said they make appointments in order of age with youngest first. Emmy was the youngest for our doctor so we got the first slot. 

She couldn't eat anything after midnight and only clear liquids after 4am. Emmy doesn't usually have a bottle until 7:30am but I decided to bump up her night time bottle to 5:30 so I could give her a little more at 9:30 to keep her full longer. 

We woke her up at 5:30 with the car already running. We changed her diaper, wrapped her back up in her blanket and loaded up. She was in a good mood and the most active toddler in the waiting room when we arrived. 

At about 6:30 they called us back and we got a private room with a bed, tv and rocker. They had a room with toys for the kids while they wait and a room for adults to get snacks, coffee, etc. It definitely made the experience more relaxing. We spent most of this time giving her kisses and telling her about how she is the best baby and how much we love her.

She was all, "Mooo-ooooom"

 A round of nurses came through to get her medical history, do questionnaires about any issues that might affect her during anesthesia and check heart and breathing strength. After that, we turned the lights out and I rocked her until around 7 when a nurse came in to get her. 

They let me carry her halfway then I bopped her up and down and told her to be good and she gladly went to the nurse who quickly went behind hospital doors. 

I started a timer and 15 minutes later the doctor was in our room, telling us that she did great and was waking up with the nurse. He said that her ears were really bad, there was still water in both ears and he expected it to bleed later in the day. He gave us some antibiotic drops.

When Emmy came back she was disoriented and loopy. I think this is why they said some kids love it but most hate it. She was so out of it that she couldn't get the bottle of apple juice pointed at her mouth. She cried and flopped around as if she had no control over her body. We laid her flat on her stomach on the bed and she stopped crying immediately. She needed to be grounded.

 She clutched her bottle of apple juice while we waited for another nurse to come in and give us the all-clear to go home. By 8am we were walking out the front doors with an only slightly irritated baby. 

We were not allowed to give her any solids or milk until we got home but as soon as we could we gave her a bottle of milk and put her down for a nap. Only a few hours after the tubes, she was up and running around.

 She slept most of Friday and by Friday night she was in a great mood. We even went out to dinner and she trooped and entertained everyone as usual!

She has already been showing more interest in walking but still won't let go of our hands or her walker or the couch. I think the walking will start soon though and when it does, she will be running!