E's day at the hospital

E's surgery went really smooth. I felt surprisingly

calm. I saw tears in my hubby's eyes which makes

me love him all the more. He hates to see his kids

suffer in any way! This is E right after I changed

him into his special hospital jammies. He got a cool

bracelet with his name printed on it!

This is in the play waiting area right before

surgery. I was a little nervous about how he

would react when they took him from me so they

gave him a little something to calm him.

It totally worked. He was so calm and a little

loopy. He went to say something and it came

out all slurred. It made me laugh and feel

better.

He rolled away in a wagon with the doctor.

My husband went back to see him when the surgery

was over. He said that E was not a happy person.

When they finally said I could come back I held him

for a long time until he woke up and was ready to drink

something. Finally, he woke and wanted a popsicle.

(Note: Their Slushies are to die for.)

After he ate his popsicle and didn't throw

it up we could finally go home. They took out his

IV and E was ready! He chose to ride out of the

hospital on a wheel chair and not the wagon.

He got to take home a sippy cup and two pillows.

E is showing one of three battle wounds from the day.

He had a hernia on the right side and they put a scope

through his belly button and found another one on his

left side. So, they fixed them both! Technology is a

blessing indeed.

The top pictures of the openings are the hernias.
The bottom pictures are the hernias sewed up.
Pretty cool ey?

Just in case you dont know, an inguinal hernia
happens when part of the intestine bulges through
a ring like opening in the lower abdominal wall.
Before birth, an opening in the lower belly wall
allows testicles to move into the scrotum of boys.
The same opening allows ligaments to support
the uterus in girls.
In both cases, the opening normally seals off
before birth. If the opening does not close, an
inguinal hernia may develop. This is the case for
almost 2 out of every 100 babies. When children
cough or strain, or have a swollen belly, they can
squeeze a part of the intestine through the opening
to cause a hernia.

Sometimes your intestine can become trapped
in the opening causing blocked bowels. This is
why it's important to close up the openings.

I've learned a lot. I am so grateful for the knowledge
our doctors have. I always think of the pioneers who would
suffer because of sickness and problems that our doctors
today can fix so easily.

The Doctors and the staff at Primary Children's
at the Riverton Hospital were so kind and friendly.

I was also in awe of the feeling of comfort that was
with me while we were in the hospital. I never felt
panic. I truly felt the prayers my dear friends and
family called up in our behalf.

We went to the store after we left the hospital to get
E's favorite dinner. Hot Dogs!
We also bought him a webkinz. He's the

frog in the middle. E named him Cherry Spike.

He loves his 3 stuffed animals and "needs" them by

him all the time.

The day went well, and E didn't like having to lay down.
We gave him pain meds once and he hated it and
wouldn't take it again.

The only time he screamed in pain is when he was
pulling at me when I was in charge of an activity
at our Blue and Gold Banquet and I grabbed him
around the middle to take him to his dad. I was
so preoccupied with what I was doing I forgot
about his belly button wound. He pushed me away
when I tried to apologize. I felt awful!

He's fine now and on the mend!