Putting this in children's health and chat, hope that's allowed.
DS4 is 11 and has moderate learning disabilities. Yesterday he had an operation to take some baby teeth out and one adult one. We set off early because we weren't sure how long it would take (not our local hospital) so we got there an hour early. We weren't allowed on the ward until the proper time (understandable) and there was a queue forming when we got there so we went for a walk trying to find all the different wards following the signs etc in the hope that he would be a bit more willing to sit with some colouring or a board game etc before his operation.
1 hour and 3000 steps later we get admitted. We're on the day surgery ward so the facilities are limited because patients are normally only in for about 5 hours max and spend most of the time asleep. All the other children from about 3 years up were happy to sit and do quiet activities, it was just him and the babies and toddlers who were running/crawling around everywhere. We weren't allowed off the ward once he was admitted except when we went down to theatre.
The anaesthetist comes round and after observing him for about a minute says we definitely need a pre med. This is his 23rd operation so we have tried midazolam before with varying degrees of success. I have some misgivings but we try it mixed in with blackcurrant squash and DS takes it ok but immediately starts screaming for ages. I don't blame him to be honest, it tastes vile. I ask if he could have a tiny sip of squash or water to take the taste away but it isn't possible which is fair enough, we don't want to risk anything with the anaesthetic. The midazolam works but it makes him drunk rather than sleepy. I don't know why, it always made him sleepy before when he had it). Keeping him on the bed is nearly impossible as his brain is even more incapable than usual and he can't concentrate on a story or game, he just wants to be running about. We go down to theatre at 11:30 and he is really good for this bit and lets the anaesthetist do her thing without complaint. Just over an hour later he is wide awake in recovery and wanting to make a zoom call to his class from the recovery room! He's still under the influence of midazolam so he thinks he's invincible and we're back to the battle of keeping him on the bed again.
I talked to the anaesthetist about other options and she said there was a different drug, can't remember what it was but it began with C that wasn't as awful tasting but it was less effective. He has another, much bigger, operation coming up in 2 months and I want to try and make things better for him than this time. We will be staying overnight so not on the day surgery ward. We will either be on childrens general surgery or the adolescent ward. Any tips?