ds has biopsy tomorrow - how the hell am I meant to keep him happy with nil by mouth?

[deaconblue]

He finally gets his biopsy tomorrow so we should soon know if it is lymphoma or not. He can't have any foods or milk after midnight tonight and no water after 6am. He already does his nut if he has to wait more than 10 mins for his milk in the morning. How the hell can I keep him going til lunchtime? thought I might wake him up just before midnight and give him a bottle.

[RubySlippers]

you could wake him up for milk- won't do any harm
then lots of distractions in the morning
take him out in the buggy, car journey - anything i guess
what a day for you all - can't really say anything which won't be a cliche but i pray it will be good news for your DS

[deaconblue]

Thanks, have to leave the house at 6.30am to drive to Canbridge so hopefully that will distract him although I'm dreading hungry cries allt eh way there. Have stuffed him this tea time in the hope it might keep him going a bit longer tomorrow.

[RubySlippers]

My DS is 13.5 months and will still tend to sleep his way through a long car journey
maybe yours will too?

[pointydog]

How old is he?

Had to do this a few times with dd2 between the ages of 1 and 3 (who is very keen om her food) and it amazed me how she just seemed to forget. I think because things were always so busy and different.

Hope the same goes for your ds!

[deaconblue]

I hope so too, he's 15 months and gets so starving hungry in the mornings. It will be so busy, getting ready and then once we are at the hospital that hopefully he won't realise

[deaconblue]

Am very nervous about the general anaesthetic too, how did your dd2 cope pointydog?

[pointydog]

she was fine, bags. Worst bit is when they shudder and flap just when going under but worst for parent, not for child.

Very quick recovery. Sleepy, bit tearful, then wobbling about trying to run everywhere.

[awayfromhome]

My ds recently had an operation under general anaesthetic, he is 9 months old. The hospital I was in had a sensory room in the children?s outpatient department, which I found very useful to while away time whilst distracting him from his hunger.

I think just the total change in environment also really helped as there was always something going on etc to distract him.

As for the anaesthetic, he had a strawberry flavoured mask, which he seemed to think was pretty good, and I second pointy dog, the flapping about etc was definitely the worst bit for me.

He also was a bit grumpy for a while after the operation but made a very quick recovery.

[dinny]

ds had a GA at 12 months and found the nil by mouth sooo hard, esp as his wasn't planned and we were squeezed in at end of the day. so he couldn't have anything all day - though they are allowed squash or water a certain time before it (sorry, can't remember exactly)

there were loads of toys to distract him but it was hard, esp as was bfing him so couldn't cuddle him without him trying to feed

holding him while he had the mask on was not nice but it was quick - leaving him there wa the hardest bit.

oh, and he was really upset and screaming the first couple of times he woke up afterwards - I just fed him and cuddled him

hope it all goes well and you get good news on the biopsy. on a positive note, all the paediatric staff we encountered were fantastic and so kind. all the best, Dinny

[pointydog]

ahhhh yes. You won't fins out till you get there where he is on the list. At my hosp they did try to get the youngest done first where poss.

[deaconblue]

She said they will try to get him done as early as possible but there might be emergencies etc. Do they have to have a canula in their hand or is the mask instead of that? He had such a horrible time when they took blood last week I'm dreading more poking around in his poor old veins

[pointydog]

just the mask for little ones (in my experience)

[dinny]

just the mask, I think for the under 5s....

then canula in when they are zonko


I so hope you get some good news from the biopsy. x