United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Krista
How is Ella doing?
I have been praying for her all week especially Friday.

Kath Robpi/adult

Thanks Kath!
It's been a long weekend since Friday! Friday was a nightmare honestly. I went in there nervous and all, but remembering that I was through surgery once before with Ella b/c of her BPI. Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought. I wasn't expecting a bowl of cherries, but I wasn't expecting exactly what happened either.
She went in Friday morning with smiles on! The dr came out about an hour later to let us know that she did fine and was well. Then the anesthesiologist came to talk to us and said they had some problems with her oxygen saturation and she was congested so they had to suction her out. They also had to give her some albuterol. I was nervous to hear that, but they assured us she was okay, but upset in recovery. So we went to recovery and saw a monster! She looked terrible. Her face was fie times larger than normal. She was red, puffy and just terrible looking. Scary actually. I mean, she was puffy after her BPI surgery, but this took the cake. She was so out of it screaming, kicking, crying, punching, throwing herself, saying it hurts and that she couldn't breathe. She did not want mommy, daddy, or sister. Basically she kept pushing us away from her which hurt me, but I knew she didn't mean it. She was okay with one of the nurses though...at least someone. So this went on for a while. I would say a good 30 mins or longer. They finally decided to give her some relaxation meds through her IV. Nothing else was working and her oxygen levels were going down from screaming and being so wild. She wasn't breathing very good to begin with. The meds finally kicked in and she was still very upset, but her body didn't keep up with her mood. After about 20 mins or a little longer she fell to sleep and napped for a good 2 hours or so. While she slept they put an oxygen mask right near her mouth so she could breathe some extra oxygen in. When she woke up she was a difference person! My Ella Bella was back for the most part. She was smiling! When I told her about the way she acted before her nap she didn't believe me. She didn't believe me that she kicked and hit me and was screaming! She was so much better. Her oxygen levels went up to 96 and finally 100 at one point. After a little bit we got dressed and went home. The nights and mornings have been tough, but she is doing well enough for me not to complain. Especially after what I went through at the surgical center. Nothing gets worse than that. It was scary, very scary.
She is taking baby steps every day to get better. Out of school all of this wekk to relax and recover. She is being wonderful about it all. She is one tough little cookie. Poor Ella....she has been through so much in these past 5 1/2 yrs of her life!
~Krista~

Gayle,
I have no clue how he ate the pork chops and fries after surgery! WOW WOW WOW WOW
Ella couldn't even get down pastine yesterday or today without it bothering her. The day of surgery she could barely drink let alone eat. How people differ huh?
I look forward to those pork chop days though when this is all over!
~Krista~


Message was edited by: Krista (mom to Ella)

Krista,

I'm so sorry that Ella had such a bad time with this surgery. Maybe it's a good thing that she doesn't remember it. Was her fighting caused by lack of oxygen? If she needs to have surgery (of any kind) in the future, can this problem be avoided?

Joanie

Boy Krista,
I am so sorry. It is funny how children differ? Did you find out why she reacted like that, did they say what caused that reaction? It would be good to know for the next time aroung !! GAYLE

'Mornin' Krista and Gayle,
Sometimes our kids are allergic to certain kinds of anasethetic and meds like Ambutal(sp?) in surgery situations. Scott had similar reaction once or twice and one time I was told I had swell-up etc after a surgery for hammer toes on my LT BPI foot...[WOW! funny, I've forgotten all about that surgery until reading you post about Ella!!!....boy! we adults sure blank out a lot of memories!! ] Anyhow, I advise getting back to Ella's Anaseseologist and get a specific list of ALL meds he/she gave to Ella. Next Surgery Ella has, take this list with you and share what happened, detail reactions to this list so they won't give her those particular ones again...there are others they can give instead.

Often,anaesetholgists do not go back and read records from previous surgeries unless some "Red Flags" are somewhere where they do read.....probably a time crunch somewhere, not negligence.....

Sorry for the spelling.....

HUGS ALL around,
Carolyn J
Adult LOBPI/68 & Proud of it!


Message was edited by: Carolyn J

Krista:
Mark this event down in your mental memory for future surgeries. And, as Ella gets older, tell her to tell medical workers that she "responds poorly to anesthesia".
When my son was 8 months old he had to have "minor" surgery to correct his circumcision. We went to the day-op at the children's hospital at 7am. We were there with a bunch of early risers. At 9am, the surgeon came out to tell us that all was well, he had done what he needed to, we would be happy with the results, and they should be calling us in to recovery in 20 minutes or so. We were thrilled. Time went by, an hour, 2 hours. All the people we came with, left. We kept asking the waiting room nurse and she kept putting us off (Juliana had not been born yet, so we didn't know how to really advocate). Finally, a resident from recovery came out and told us that there was a problem when they tried to bring him out. First he told us that Andrew had a head cold and we shouldn't have brought him. I told him that the peds had checked him out and that THEY had checked him out and approved him for surgery. He back tracked and told me that Andrew had reacted to the meds and had filled up with fluid and started to drown. They had to put him back under and suction him, and then bring him back out very slowly. When I got to him, he looked like he had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson...his nose was bloodied, his face swollen (and let's remember where is surgery was performed...). We convinced them tolet him drink, and he started to calm down. After that we took him home. A few years later, he needed tubes and adnoids. The anesthesiologist asked me if he had had surgery and how he did. When I told him the story, he told me he was glad to know that. The next day,after that surgery, they told me that he did start to react again, but that they took precautions because I told them about the previous incident.

I also told TCH about Andrew's problems with anesthesia and low and behold... Juliana responds the same way! She has to be on a nebulizer after each surgery.

I am sorry that was so scary. I know just how you feel.

Glad she is feeling better,
claudia


Message was edited by: claudia

I had this surgery when I was 16 and remember it vividly. I had it the week before thanksgiving and christmas dinner was my first meal after surgery. I was in excruciating pain and my doc said I was making it up for attention! He said because I was a "child" I should not have any pain. (JERK) Anyway, make sure she drinks a lot, even if she refuses, force her. I didn't drink enough and I hemorrhaged 7 days after my surgery. The only thing I could eat for a month was Stouffers mac and cheese (the frozen kind) Don't know why but it didn't burn like everything (including ice cream did). If you have anymore specific questions for someone that has gone through it let me know. I remember a lot because it was so awful.

Krista
I have always responded poorly to anesthesia.
When I was about 5 and again in my 20's I had "laughing gas" to have a tooth pulled.
They could not wake me up and had to give me oxygen everyone was in a panic because I just would not wake up.
Any time I have been under anesthesia they have had a two fold problem.
It take a lot of medication to get me to sleep and then a major problem waking me up.
The one good thing is I wake up laughing for some reason.
The last surgery I had the doctor talked to me about going to sleep and said I should dream of a place I wanted to visit.
The nurses in ICU were all laughing when I finally did wake up because all I did was giggle and yet they could not get me to wake up.
I must have been very comfortable.
The pulmonologist thinks it's because I have a c4 injury and a partially paralyzed diaphragm.
Of course no one mentioned I should tell doctors this before surgery.
I have know about my diaphragm since I was very small after all the fluoroscopes and my family doctor told me about it because he said my lungs would always be weak.

For some reason I never really thought it mattered until recently.

Please make sure you tell the doctors about this problem.

I am sorry she has all these problems I was worried and praying for her.
I hope she will soon be back to her normal sweet little self.

Kath robpi/adult