Just checking in. Not thrilled about an open-back gown, but otherwise filled with nervous excitement. Excitement ebbed and nervousness flowed when the nurse tried to put an IV in Autumn's arm. That didn't go well, so they opted to give up and try again once Autumn was in a more "relaxed state" (after starting laughing gas).
After the threat of needles was temporarily taken away, she was feeling calm enough to do some silly poses for Dad while waiting for the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist was very nice. Autumn liked him too. She liked him even more once the laughing gas started. She remembers, among other things, giggling hysterically at his two-word joke ("Knock, knock..."), and asking the nurse if she was able to fly, before swirling away into a psychedelic slumber. Autumn had such a good time going to sleep that "The Funny Guy" (the anesthesiologist) was the first person she asked for when she woke up!
She had a much better time than Ben and I, her brother, and her classmates at school. Almost as soon as her dad and I walked into the waiting room, we saw on the news that her school was in lock-down due to police activity. A student brought a gun to school and a teacher found it. Nobody was hurt, but the students had to sit for hours waiting to be released from school. We had a slight scare when we couldn't find Cody right away. The police made the kids leave all their belongings at school (including house keys if they didn't happen to be already in their pockets), so Cody retreated to a neighbor's house without telling anybody where he was. We found him eventually.
This is the first stuffed animal Autumn received at the hospital (she got a bunch). When the staff brought Autumn to us after her procedure, Autumn's headband was on the elephant just like this. I thought it was cute, so I took a picture.
Her surgery was very quick (they wheeled her away at 9:30 and brought her back to us alert and talking at 11:30). The surgery was also very successful. The neurosurgeon said that Autumn's filum was unusually thick and tight, and that she should see significant and immediate relief now that it's been released. The doctor gave us a photograph of the filum that was taken during the procedure, but I won't show it here. Autumn likes showing it off, so if you want to see the photo, just ask. :)
She felt well enough afterwards to be a ham for the camera. The pulse/oxygen thingy on her finger glowed red, bearing a resemblance to a certain extraterrestrial. Read her lips, "E.T. phone home!"
Autumn kept saying over and over how much better she feels. I got her to smile for the camera (a real, pretty smile, not goofy style) and I love this picture. A few people have suggested that Autumn's relief probably stems from the heavy medication she was on. Although that might have accounted for it at first, it has now been 36 hours since she woke up and she still reports that the only pain she has is at her incision. The nurses did tell her she had access to morphine and Vicodin, but she never called for any medication, and they didn't give her anything beyond what was ordered as matter of course. It made me so happy to hear Autumn tell the nurses over and over (they checked on her quite regularly),
"No pain."
"No pain."
"No pain."
Ben created a sort of shrine out of Autumn's gifts on this shelf in her recovery room. The collection has grown since this picture was taken. Autumn left the hospital will all kinds of treasures. Plus she was constantly being offered movies, toys, video games, live entertainment, and food by hospital staff and volunteers. It turns out that staying the night at a children's hospital can have voluminous advantages. She has been very spoiled!
She tried playing video games for a while, but it was very difficult to use the keyboard with her hand all taped up to an IV. Movies were easier; no hands needed! Her favorite activity, other than receiving visitors, was sleeping. But sleep was difficult to come by there. She is glad to be home.
One more goofy smile from a silly, happy girl.
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