Even though all of February is celebrated as Heart Month, the week leading up to Valentine’s Day is often CHD (Congenital Heart Defect) Awareness Week. A week that is especially near and dear to my heart, no pun intended, since our first son was born with a heart defect that required him to have his first OHS (Open Heart Surgery) when he was 10 days old. He recently had his second OHS this past May, after an unsuccessful heart catherization the previous summer. Last week, I did an overview of what to expect for outpatient scenarios, like a heart catheterization, HERE.
The Day Before Surgery
The team will want all the pre-operation details taken care of the day before the surgery, so on the day of the team can focus strictly on the procedure and make sure they have contingency plans for any anomalies or special conditions that will undoubtedly arise. The medical team will run through your child’s medical history with you and draw blood.
If your child has had a previous surgery with any anomalies, make sure to mention those or have a copy of the details. My son gave the medical team quite a rollercoaster when he was 10 days old and I made sure to remind them of the circumstances. We were extremely fortunate to have the same medical team for the second OHS a little over 7 years after his first OHS!!!
The Day of Surgery
The hospital will have your child’s needs taken care of, for the most part, they had toys, chapstick, iPad with games. However, sometimes your kiddo needs something to squeeze on to when they are getting nervous, but are still trying to be brave. My sister-in-love gave my son this surgery buddy and it was such a comfort for him! This would be a very special and unique gift for any child facing a big surgery, link HERE (not an ad, but I loved how helpful this was and still is for my son!).
At about 7 am, we got to walk to the bubble wall, the spot right before the restricted entry point. The team took him back to begin preparing him for his operation, which takes about an hour. We got a call for each step of the process, which was such a relief. It didn’t allow us to sit for too long wondering what was happening.
During Surgery
- Bring something to occupy yourselves! No, a book won’t cut it. I find something that requires my concentration like crocheting, hand embroidery, coloring, etc. helps make the waiting bearable.
- A journal is also helpful to write down timelines, medicines, or events where you want to remember the details. I didn’t do this for his first OHS, and wished I had.
- One of you needs to go get food. Cell phones will keep everyone up to date with any information, but keep yourselves fed and hydrated because time in a hospital is warped. Some hours will feel excruciating and some days will feel like nanoseconds. Take advantage of down time to keep yourself at 100% for when your child needs you.
Post-Op
He was out of surgery around noon. Be prepared to wait a little more, usually around an hour while they get your child set up in the ICU. Nothing I say can prepare you for seeing your child for the first time post-op — relief, fear, anxiety, and everything in between and knowing that the hard part is just beginning. All I could do for him the first few hours was talk to him, stroke his hair, and keep chapstick on his lips. His little body was so worn out from such a big procedure.
How Long Will You Stay?
When we went through the first OHS when our son was 10 days old, we were there for a month. Fortunately, the second OHS, the procedure was on Thursday and we went home on Monday! Kids are so amazingly resilient.
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