So Friday we passed the Bar then on Monday they said Rhead could be bumped up for his surgery. What a roller coaster it has been this week. So Monday I took Rhead to get his physical and he finally passed that which meant he could be scheduled for his surgery the next day.
So Monday night we had a special family night. We talked about the Priesthood power. Then Grandpa and Daddy gave Rhead a special blessing. He sat there with his hands folded and listened to the words. The surgery was scheduled for 11:30 am the next day but Rhead had to fast from midnight till then. He could only drink liquids until 9am. Justin and I were so worried because this is a boy who wakes up at 5am asking for "CEROLL!" He just craves a bowl of cereal right when he wakes up and then an hour later usually eats oatmeal pancakes for his second breakfast. But the next day Rhead woke up came to our room and actually fell back asleep until 8am. He didn't even ask for cereal the next morning. He didn't throw a SINGLE tantrum and just drank the juice we gave him in the morning. He was so calm and never once asked for FOOD!! It was a blessing. Rhead was so ready and it really helped me to not freak out. I was so nervous for him but everything went well. Justin took Rhead to Children's hospital and got there early. They got Rhead into the hospital early and had his surgery done in less than an hour.
The doctor said everything went well.
Justin's excerpt -
Rhead is a very special boy and has been since he was born. Somehow at like 36 weeks he managed to flip over and allow Marin to naturally deliver the twins, which is what she wanted to do. He let Brooke come out first and allowed himself the more dangerous 2nd trip out. He, of course, came out screaming and hasn't stopped screaming since! :) He has such a unique personality and that was evident from, literally, the moment he was born. This poor boy has split his head open at a volleyball game and falling out of a truck, almost broke his nose diving off the couch, broke through the screen on the window after tripping while jumping on his bed and falling 4 feet to the dirt ground outside bloodying his lip and bruising his body, knocked his tooth all the way out falling at park and countless other bumps and bruises along the way. Yet amazingly, through it all, he always rebounds very quickly and usually just wants to be held and he'll be comforted.
So of course Rhead is the one that gets the hernia...it couldn't have gone any other way. He obviously had no idea what was going on so he was really good through it all. When we got there and the nurse and to weigh and measure him he didn't want to get on the scale. But I quickly said he could have a piece of ice-cream cake when he got home and he jumped right on. The nurse said, "I've never seen a child so quickly persuaded." "He's a real sweet tooth," I replied. They then led us into the prep room where Rhead was dressed into his "cool pajamas." The nurse gave him this oral medication to help calm him so the separation isn't so dramatic with the parents and they can easily IV him and put him to sleep. Of course the medicine had no effect on Rhead. It's supposed to kick in in 10-15 minutes but Rhead was still jumping around his new surgery bed and playing this weird game where he wants to slap me in the face. He thinks it's so funny...even if I playfully "tap" him back. Finally after about 25 minutes he became noticeably more docile. The nurse, who was a BYU graduate, took him away and I tried to start reading my book. But I kept thinking about what they might be doing to Rhead at that moment and couldn't really focus. So I just sat hoping everything was going ok and listening to all the people speaking spanish in the waiting room.
Everything went well and the first thing out of Rhead's mouth when he came to was "I want to hold you"...which is pretty much what he says every time he sees me. I held him while he drank a juice box and we went home. He slept the most of the rest of the day and night and then when he woke up the next morning he yelled "I want some CERROLL!!!" and jumped off our bed. (I let him sleep with us that night) Well...Rhead was back to normal. He only needed pain meds for one day and has been begging to get in the pool. He again has proved his resiliency and probably has been less affected by this experience than his parents.
two months
