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

[Yarrow]

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!!!!

My dd had a GA aged 3, it was for an operation on her thumbs.
They told us to come early - something around 7am and then because of other emergancy operations they left us sitting in a waiting room for ages, she was so thirsty that when the sister brought a cup of medecine mixed with a little apple juice she downed it without making a fuss. That made her very sleepy so she calmly went with the doctor who came to take her through to the operating room. After the operation I was allowed to sit with her on my knee till she came round. After a couple of hours I took her home (she was sick twice) and she slept all through the night and half the next day.
I'm glad we had it done when she was so small as both her hands were bandaged and I fed her and gave her drinks for a few days till the big bandages came off.

Its certainly not abnormal yarrow

yes, it's 100% normal. My dd was just having her lip stiched up, and dh and I are both medical and KNEW that everything would be fine...and yet I sat in the waiting room clutching dh and weeping and generally thinking very single horrendous thing I had ever seen on ER or Holby City, and then after 10mins of that malarkey the nurse comes and gets us (and gives me a 'Oh for heavens sake pull yourself together look'), and then we hear dd yelling her head off through about 3 sets of double doors 'MUMMY, MUMMY'...I've never been so relieved in my whole life!!!

Your dd will be fine, and the lump I'm sure will be nothing (if they've cancelled the op so many times it doesn't sound like the medics think its anything serious). Sending you love and hugs.

DS had 4 GAs when he was 1.
IME it is FAR more worrying for the parent - children sail through it, and the anticipation and worry in advance is much worse than the actuality.
Talk to the aneasthetist beforehand and find out if they will do gas first or a canula (needle in hand).
See if they can put her first on the list in the morning - it's much easier to whisk them in early in the morning without breakfast, having had the majority of the dtarvation period overnight, than to starve them all day. But be very clear about what she can have and when.
If you can, take someone with you - it is emotional seeing them unconscious on the trolley. And don't let everyone keep calling you - you will need to concentrate on looking after her. Take snacks for you, too - keep them hidden (you can't eat in front of her1) and then eat while she is in theatre. Take nice wholesome, easy to eat food for her for when she comes round. Yogurt or simple sandwiches or bread and butter.

It will be OK. Stop imagining the brain damage...needless torture for yourself!

what is adding to worry is 5mth old is exclusive breast fed at momemt. I've never been away from him, am no good at expressing so he will have to come. Relatives live far away and just moved to area so dont have any friends to help out. also dh completely hospital phobic for very good reason.

Oh try not to worry.
DD1 had an op on various things in her mouth at age 6.
They take them into theatre and by the time you have paced up and down and back they are out again.
They recover at an amazing rate you know and the staff are wonderful.

Let the nurses on the ward know about how you are feeling and your ds2 needing to be breastfed. If they have a spare side rooms they might pop you in there (for more privacy/quiet...if that's what you want). You could also ask them to look after ds2 for a bit when ds1 is coming round/just out of theatre. If they are not manically busy most pead nurses love having a cuddle with a baby.

Take baby too, no point in adding to your stress by worrying about him.

Blu's advice is all tip-top, as ever.

Ah just read last post.

I would take a friend or someone to come and sit with the baby definitely.
Cant one of your old pals come for the night perhaps?
That way you can still bf but be there when dd needs you.

Also with dd1 she was given a sedative orange drink to make her drowsy before anything happened at all. Dont know if that is an option?

many apologies for calling your dd a ds...I must read first posts more closely!

yes take someone to be with the baby when tyou nbeed to focus on your dd. And they will DEF find tou somewher quiet top breastfgeed. Dont worry about that. tghey will help.

oops sorry hamlyn here, forgot had changed names on another thread

Take your baby . You can ask a nurse to hold him if need be. He will sleep lots, anyway, and be someone to cuddle while you wait for them to call you to recovery.

Children's wards are very very experienced at what they do, ime. They will look after you and they will look after your dd - honestly. It will all be over in a trice.

Just one thing: they may try to force feed you a hot dinner form the trolley if they see you bf your baby...and hospital food is not something to be subjected to, I kid you not! I was feeding ds when he had his operations, and was beseiged by nurses shouting 'nursing Mums, that's what we like - aren't you lucky, nursing Mums are entitled to a freee dinner' - and trying to force feed me huge lumps of carrots and greasy chips at every hour of the day!!!!

No worries Flumpy!Easy done.
I will have to take baby, I think. And can't really think of anyone to ask to come with us to help. Oh dear getting a headache thinking about it all...going to bed.
P.S,
Does anyone know of anything homeopathic or some such thing to aid recovery from GA?

arnica for brusiing
calendula for healing of scar

dont knock dinners blu - I have spent too ling in hosp with my ds and if they offer you a meal TAKE IT!!!!!

DS has had 3 GA 6 times so far ( for talipes - club foot)at ages 8 months to 7 yrs. The pre-med that some people have mentioned, ie a calming drink before the op, does in my experience seem to make them more ill after the op. He had it the last couple of times as he is really really really unhappy about needles in his hand now. They gave us the choice (alder hey for us) and for him it was the best choice, but it may be worth bearing in mind - pre op calm for post op sickiness. SOme of the medical staff confirmed that the reason he was much slower in recovering from his GA the last couple of times was because of the pre-med.
The pre-med was only calm for him though, DH and I were both PMSL cos we had a 5/6 year old child who was very very stoned.

greenmum

I agree totally. I(f you can manage without the pre med then def dont have it. It dopes make recovery slower and makles then nauseous. but it is nec for some kids esp those who have had multiple ops as they begin to get scared

We started off without a premed as dd1 6yrs waved to me cheerily as she was wheeled down to theatre.
3 mins later she was back with her red faced dad and a nurse who ran off to whip up the premed.

(She had changed her mind about having the op and walloped the anaesthetist).

I love any meal that's made for me. That's teh best bit about hospital. Portions too small though.

probably try wi out premed if she is calm- perhaps I should neck it but then again wouldn't be too good for bfing I imagine Will have to eat though. Noticed if my blood sugar levels fall I am a wreck, can't do wi out food whilst bf.

lol mrsnoah!

yarrow - try without the pre med but dont write it off completely, IYKWIM. (A bit like the advice I was given re an epidural in labour!)

And do eat the food if it is offered. a) you need if for b/feeding and b) you need it to keep you strong for your DD.

Stay in touch. x

I agree, take the Premed if you are given the choice and is otherwise going to be too stressfull for her. I will be thinking of you on 24th. DS2 has his next (HOPE last) op on 30th to take out the titanium they left in his leg last time. For us it will be a little one in theory - no morphine pump, no plastered leg, maybe even no cruches. But it still is worrying, and the bit where you go into the GA room is never nice. Don't know how long you will be in or what the hospital policy is, but taking tea bags and milk was always a good idea (they had facilities for making tea in parents room, but not always supplies), most places have TVs and dvd players so take in any favourite DVDs that she might like. Like you I will have a 5 month old child to BF when I go in, but I guess I have the advantage of knowing what the staff are like (alder hey staff are absolutly lovely!) - and as DS hasto stay at least one night I guess it will be DH not me staying with him.
Last bit of advice is speak to the staff if you have any queries/concerns or if your DD needs anything, and as impossible as this is, try not to worry.
Will be thinking of you. Please let us all know how it went

LOL - no, no, take edible food in with you! Or perhaps Jamie Oliver has reached parts of the NHS that the catering dept of King's hasn't!