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Original poster

DD (nearly 3) having general anesthetic-I'm a mess with worry....

88 replies

Yarrow · 14/01/2007 22:45

any advice from anyone? my dd is having minor op on neck to remove 'lump'. spent hundreds of £s on alternatives & had anti-biotics etc but nothing doing.its a cyst thing they think. operation last resort. hate idea of it and am so worried probably cos over-emotional with breast feeding 5mth old. any one had their toddler have GA before?how do you cope!!!!

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 14/01/2007 22:46

No advise, but bumping so hopefully someone will come along w/experience.

Original poster

Yarrow · 14/01/2007 22:47

em, wots bumping pls?

OP posts:

Bluebear · 14/01/2007 22:55

My ds had a GA just before 3rd birthday - the worst bit, to be honest, was the time spent in hospital before the op. when he wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything and he just couldn't understand why...by the time we had spent hours entertaining him on a hospital bed (take a little rucksack with some small new toys and books in) we were frazzled, and too tired to get as worried as I thought I would be about the GA (we were also starving as we wouldn't eat in front of him).
Do you know how long your dd's op will take. Ds's took an hour but it seemed like no time at all.
Be aware that they can 'fight' the anaesthetic so may struggle when going under (we were allowed one parent to be with him as he went under).
We had a pre-op visit to the ward to talk about what would happen and for ds to talk to a play specialist about it. The play specialist wanted him to put 'magic cream' on a bear and give bear an injection etc ( ds refused since 'it's a bear, they don't feel pain' ). he was also shown photos of hospital equipment so he had an idea what things were.

He had another op when he was 5 which went so much better because he would watch tv and he was so excited to have a bed with tv attached that he was glued to it until they took him to theatre!

Best of luck, it is worrying but you will get through it.

StayAtHomeMummy · 14/01/2007 22:55

Mine had GA at 4 to have a broken arm straightened in theatre. I remember very clearly how frightnening it was - for me more than her- and I sat with her when she was put under. All I can say is that it will be worse for you than for her. Yes, there are risks, but they know what they are doing - she will be fine. It is horrible when they go under - one second they're with you, the next they're out like a light, it was really painful for me. But DD was fine, no recollection.

Don't know if I'm helping or not here - what I'm trying to say is that you should prepare yourself for a traumatic experience, but realise that for your DD it will probably pass in a haze, and she will be fine if you can be there to support her and smile as she's put under. I hope all goes well.

barbapapa · 14/01/2007 22:59

Hi Yarrow,

Just to say that my dd had an operation under general anaesthetic when she was just over 3. She had a burst appendix.

Like you I was a mess with worry but she was absolutely fine. As this is a minor op I suspect your dd won't be under for very long and she will be back fighting fit before too long - good luck , I am sure it will be fine and once done hopefully the cyst will be sorted out for good.

Original poster

Yarrow · 15/01/2007 18:53

Thank you everyone for that. I know she is going to be outraged at not having her cornflakes in the morning but I guess making a big fuss of her and yes, lots of play things will make the time go quicker....and knowing she won't remember any thing....it has really helped reading your stories and knowing other people have gone through it....oh no feel very emotional again but in a good way!

OP posts:

geogteach · 15/01/2007 19:10

I would agree with everyone else but just to add be prepared that she may be sick afterwards, DS1 has had a number of GA's and after the first one he was sick all over himself and me and I had no spare clothes for either of us.

Original poster

Yarrow · 15/01/2007 19:17

good point. have taken note. thank you

OP posts:

Bluebear · 15/01/2007 19:28

Yes, def. take a spare top for yourself - i got covered with ds's bodily fluids and looked like an extra from a horror movie (he had surgery to his throat and sprayed blood all over me when he woke up) - mind you, I got plenty of space to myself on the rush hour train back

Flumpytina · 15/01/2007 19:41

Yes have to agree with geog and bluebear...prepare for puking!!! My dd (2.5) had a GA in the summer (after spliting her lip open on a church pew...dangerous place church is ), and we had to wait the whole day for theatre...obviously no food or drink. Anyway when she came round she was absolutely parched and chugged down a whole beaker of water...up it all came (over dh in new suit), we waited 15 mins, dd chugged down another beaker of water...up it all came (over dh in scrubs). By then we worked it out, little sips only, with big rests in between!! Your dd will protest as you wrestle the beaker out of their grasping little hands but believe me the dry cleaning bill is worth not giving in!!!

PS your dd will be absolutely fine, they always have a consultant anaethetist for little kids...she will be fine!!

hamlyn · 15/01/2007 19:43

yarrow my ds had an op on his neck last year. Have they told you any more about the lump or exactly what will happen? Where in the country are you? Happy to chat more.

summer111 · 15/01/2007 19:46

ds had two ops, first at 2, second at 3. Both went fine. They put numbing cream on their hands prior to the op and it is at this site that they insert the needle for GA. On waking up after first op, ds was very cranky but was fine after second. Have a few new toys with you as a surprise when dd wakes up as they'll act as a bit of a distraction.
Good luck

dinny · 15/01/2007 19:57

Yarrow, ds had a GA at a year old (was an emergency, of sorts)
I was in absolute pieces, so you have my sympathy. All the staff wer amazing (did you know only consultant anaestheticists do paed GA?)
ds was only gone from me for about 35 mins, then was allowed down to Recovery. The main upsetting things were:
holding him when they put the mask over his face to knock him out
not being allowed to feed him him all day prior to the op (we were last on list)
how upset he was when he woke up

BUT, horrible though it was, I never feared for his safety. Will be thinking of you tomorrow, Dinny x

tissy · 15/01/2007 20:13

dinny, not strictly true about only consultants doing children's GAs, but only a senior anaesthetist (not necessarily a Consultant) would anesthetise a child of 3 unsupervised.

dinny · 15/01/2007 20:35

ah, I see. but am sure the anaesthetist said consultants only - maybe varies from hospital to hospital?

tissy · 15/01/2007 20:38

yes, almost certainly- you have to be good at anaesthetising grown-ups before you're let loose on kids!

carol3 · 15/01/2007 20:51

hi yarrow, dd2's had three anesthetic the last one when she was 2, as your dd will be 3, I think she'll have anesthetic into her hand rather than gas, I found this much easier than the gas as its much quicker at putting them out, only takes a few seconds. I have always been lucky and been first or nearly first on the list, they try to do it in age order. What helped with the no breakfast and drinking was, I left dd in bed until the last min then got her sraight up and dressed and out of the door before she realised she hadn't had breakfast. This helped and she didn't seem to notice which was a relief. Dd's been in hospital a few times and she always likes her teddy to go with her and have a matching bandage .
hope all goes well for your little one.

Flumpytina · 15/01/2007 20:52

Dinny I think it must vary from trust to trust. One of the reasons we waited all day was that we had to wait for the consultant. But Yarrow don't freak...whoever you get will have done it before and will be experienced. The anaethetist will come and do a pre op and you can fire any questions you have at them...they won't mind as they are fully prepared for anxious parents!!

Dinosaur · 15/01/2007 20:54

Yarrow, DS2 had a GA before minor surgery when he was about 10 months of age.

He was initally quite upset when he came round but soon cheered up and was playing in the hospital playroom quite happily the same evening.

Please don't worry.

Original poster

Yarrow · 15/01/2007 20:57

this operation has been cancelled 3 times before. 1st scheduled date my son was born, 2nd she had been in contact with kid who had chicken pox so hospital cancelled, 3rd, she had bad cold and GP said would advise it. 4th time lucky!
Hamlyn- it's a weird lump that she has had since May that appeared after she had a virus. it developed into a boil or cyst. no- one knows wot it is so they will biopsy and excavate!will be done north scotland 24th jan
def. bring spare clothes after readin all this...

OP posts:

foxinsocks · 15/01/2007 20:58

take her favourite beaker for afterwards (for a drink, she'll be really thirsty) and her favourite snack

the nurses on the ward and the anaethetist are so used to frightened mums (and dads!), they'll make you feel so much better!

hopefully, it'll be a quick op and she'll be back before you know it.

My dd had her op at age 4 and was fine when she woke up - no howling or puking but she was outrageously thirsty and hungry (she was on the morning op list but wasn't operated on till lunch time so was really starved by then!).

pointydog · 15/01/2007 21:07

Your dd will be fine. dd2 had a cyst removed from her head when she was 1 and three or four further lots of GA for grommets/adenoids.

I found out in the morning of admission where she was on the list - it's a bummer if your child's down for the end of the day as you have to entertain them all day and they can't have food! Although, the new surroundings and loads of new toys did keep her mind off eating.

The worst bit is when they go under as they jerk and twitch in a horrible way but all the staff are used to it and it's ok if you cry. Even for minor ops.

You'll both be fine.

hamlyn · 15/01/2007 21:08

Hope def 4th time lucky yarrow. I have heard they can get boils and lumps etc following viruses. (I only asked becuase my DS had a benign tumour removed last year but his was connected with congenital problems. We are in London so I wondered if we were close by - but obviously not!!)

Like everyone has said, you will be well looked after. My DSs have had a lot of ops between them and I would echo what people say. the other thing I would addd is to bring change for teh phone and snacks and bottles of water for yourself as well as some tabloidy magazines. It is very draining waiting around in hospitals. And it is important to snack and drink plenty to keep your energy levels up. hospiotals are very hot.

NB there are a number of books available to prepare you and your ds for a trip to hsopital. I like the topsy and tim one, and also another called 'going to hospital' Cant rtememebr author but got it on amazon

Good luck, keep us posted

hamlyn · 15/01/2007 21:10

dd sorry!

Original poster

Yarrow · 15/01/2007 21:13

of course I'm convinced she has tumour, or will get brain damage from anesthetic! isn't that normal?

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