In The Palms Of Our Hands

Remembering Noah's surgery
2002-02-21, 4:43 p.m.

I was reading an email a minute ago, about babies spitting up, and it made me think back to when Noah was a baby and all his tummy problems he had.

It started when he was 3 weeks old. He would vomit, not spit up, about once a day. By 4 weeks old, it was about twice a day, and at 5 weeks it was about every other time he ate. It was pretty bad. The doctors kept telling me that it was just spit up, and that moms think its more then it really is. I knew that wasn't it, I knew something was wrong, because I have nephews who used to spit up and none was like this.

His throwing up was projectile, not spiting up.

Finally when he was 6 weeks old it got where he was crying, not keeping anything down, and I called the dr. on call that night. He told me it was probably the stomach flu and to give him pedilyte. Well that didn't work either, so I called the next night too, and the doctor on call was Noah's ped. and she told us to watch him that night and then to bring him in, in the morning, and made an apptment for us for 9 am the next morning.

So at 9 am we headed to the dr. The dr we saw, wasn't our doctor, but she was really nice. She was talking to us, and said how happy he seemed, even though he spit up so much, she said that ruled out reflux, which most people tried to tell me it was. I knew it was more then that though! The dr asked me if it was projectile vomiting, and Brian and I both said YES! She made us an appointment at the hospital foran ultrasound for Noah. The man did the ultrasound and sent us back to the waiting room, while they looked everything over. About 10 minutes later, a nurse came out and told us Noah was being admitted into the hospital and go to the emergency room, and get him all set. I was terrified, and Noah was screaming. Brian kept trying to calm me down, but he was as worried as I was, and it didn't help much!

So we get all the paper work done, and they send us up to a room for him. The nurse comes in and takes him to put an iv in. I couldn't go because I couldn't stand to watch them stick my precious boy. The got the iv in his head and brought him back to me, he was screaming soo loudly when they brought him back into the room, but as soon as he was in my arms, he quieted down and went to sleep! The nurses were amazed how bonded we were even!

So a surgeon comes in and tells us he has Pyloric Stenosis, but they want to do an upper GI and check for sure, before surgery was done. So we take him down to get the upper gi and he vomits all the barrum stuff they gave him to drink. It was awful! I about cried because he screamed and cried, and the man doing the upper gi wasn't senstive to the fact that he was a baby! I wanted to hit him!.

We were sent back up to the room, and a little while later, the surgern came back, and told us Noah needed surgery to fix the problem, and explained what all it intailed. So about 30 minutes later, I carried my little man to the door where the nurses took over, and took my baby in for surgery.

It was awful. For 30 minutes, Brian and I paced the floor, his parents were there, but they were comforting to me at all. I called my parents who both said they would come up the next day to be with us.

When the 30 minutes was up, Brian and I were lead into the recovery room, where Noah was still out of it and he was whining softly. I won't forget that sound, it made ache for my baby, because he was hurting and confused at what had happened. I held him in my arms, for 20 minutes while he came out of the meds they had given him to knock him out during surgery. And then we were taken back to his room.

Noah was only allowed small amounts of sugar water, and formula. Like not even an oz of either, every 30 minutes, until we had gone through a reginem, and discovered if he had problems keeping it down too. So needless to say it was a long night. Bri and I took turns sleeping, and holding Noah, who was hungry and crying because he couldn't have anything. Finally at about 5:30 we both got to sleep in that little tiny bed next to the crib where Noah was sleeping. It was 6 when Brian told me my parents where there. I remember laughing and saying, "no they aren't. They are coming later today" and then turning around and seeing my parents standing there, together! That was amazing, since they are divorced and don't have much to do with each other. But for Noah they traveled the 5 hour trip throughout the night together, to be there for us and him!

That day was long and full of visits from Brians parents, and mine. Finally at 7pm that night we were released to take him home.

When we got home, my mom cooked us dinner and told Brian and I to go to bed. So we went to bed, and Noah slept for 6 hours striaght that night. The first time he had ever slept that long. Probably because his problem was solved.

For months after his surgery, I would watch him sleep, and panic when he did spit up every now and again, worrying that something would be wrong, or that the problem wasn't fixed.

The problems were fixed though, and little man is so healthy these days, well except right now with this nasty flu he has!

I worried when I had Jaidyn and she spit up alot , that her problem may be the same as Noahs, but she was fine and well, with a slight case of reflux, that required nothing to keep under control. Thankfully no more surgerys for my kiddos, hopefully none for a long while too...

Speaking of my children, Noah has been more like himself and playing some today, and then he has spells were he coughs alot,m and throws up. Poor thing. Other times he plays and doesn't cough for hours. Hopefully this is the end coming soon, for him and this illness.

Jaidyn has been cranky today. I am hoping she isn't getting the flu too! My throat is scratchy, and I have been coughing some today! I don't want the flu, so pray for me here okay??

Anyway I need to go cook dinner cause Bri will be home soon!

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