Surgery for Kara Bear

After the enjoyment of Thanksgiving it was time for the Nutt House to prepare for our next adventure.  This time, it was not of the enjoyable type.  On Wednesday November 28^th our beautiful Kara Bear had surgery for a ventral hernia.  We had been told from her pediatricians that this was something that she may need pretty much since she was born so we always knew it was a possibility.  Thanks to Kara having previously been admitted to the hospital this year and the arrival of Kaden we hit the deductible amount on our medical insurance for the year making it financially the best time for the surgery to take place. 

As much as I like to attempt to be organized and have a plan for most everything this was not something I was able to appropriately plan for.  The surgery was scheduled while Brent was in the middle of a week-long training for work.  This broke his heart and brought up challenges as to care for Kaden during the surgery.  Luckily, my mom was able to come down and spend a few days helping us out. 

Thankfully Brent honors his priesthood and along with his dad was able to give Kara a blessing the night before her surgery.  (I am not so sure who received the most from the blessing Kara, Brent, or myself).  After too many anxious hours it was finally morning and time to head in for surgery.  Kara wore a brand new Cinderella nightgown from Grandpa and Grandma Lang and we ventured off to the hospital.  Arriving at the hospital, we were given a paging device like you get at a restaurant when you have to wait for a table.  Once the pager went off we were off and running.  We went through the whirlwind of admissions and check in only to wait again for the 10 am hour for her surgery.  Bless her little heart, Kara didn’t know what all fuss was about and for many reasons I didn’t tell her what was going to happen, simply that she was going to see her special doctor that day.  Once the excitement of admission and check in was over and we were back to the waiting game we started to watch Finding Nemo.  Not too long into the movie Kara asked if we could go home.  That yank on my heart strings almost brought me to tears as I had to tell her not yet.  Kara’s doctor soon came in marking her stomach where the incision would be made and told me all sorts of stuff that just went in one ear and out the other as my heart was speaking louder than any voice could to me at that time.  It helped then; that my mom was there to make certain the information was heard and understood. 

All dressed and ready to go

Soon after that it was time and they came to take Kara back for surgery.  I had listened to the doctor before hand, had talked with family members, did a little reading on the ever reliable internet but no one prepared me for what was to happen next.  **This next part is written from the perspective of a very emotional mother.   Suddenly it dawned on me they were taking Kara away from me when she was still awake.  This little girl who I am to love and protect was to be taken from me by someone she doesn't know and go off with a bunch or strangers to be poked with needles and put to sleep.  Now, who in their right mind thought that that separation was a good idea???!!!!??!?!?!?!?!?  I was not having it.  Not that there was anything I could do about it.  Sure, it may be best for the hospital, but that didn't make it best for me or for Kara.  A nurse came to take my angel away from me and I had to let her.  At that moment all I wanted to do was to take Kara and run.  Run from the people with needles, run from the people in masks, run from the strangers, run from the pain that she’d experience, I just wanted to run from reality and protect my daughter.  While that is what I wanted to do it is not what I did.  Cooler heads (my mom’s) prevailed and Kara was escorted away in a little car and just as quickly I was escorted from the room by mom before I could hear Kara crying out for me.   

My mom went into mom mode taking care of me, going to get me some food while I watched the patient status monitor for Kara’s number (18465) to appear.  The doctor had told us it would be about an hour and before I was even expecting it we were called back to be with Kara.  As we entered her recovery room I witnessed my angel still mostly asleep in the arms of a nurse calling out for momma.  In what seemed to be the blink of an eye I had Kaden down and Kara in my arms.  I wanted all the love, compassion, and healing powers of mothers everywhere to ooze from me into her little body and help her recover faster. 

Fresh from surgery not quite fully awake yet

All went well until Kaden who has the happiest of dispositions decided that he was tired of sitting and that grandma wasn’t good enough and he must have momma.  So after an awkward exchange I sat in the chair holding both children until Kara woken up. 

When we got home Brent burst out of the office where he was completing his training to embrace Kara as he attempted to harness all the love and healing powers of dads everywhere to help Kara feel better.  Kara enjoyed an afternoon of cartoons and movies as she lounged on the couch and before we knew it our little angel was feeling better and was exposing her mischievous two year old side once again.  Even to the point that her grandma got to see it! 

Lounging around recovering from her big day

I am thankful for modern medicine that was able to heal our Kara Bear so quickly and for our family members and friends that shared in our worries and supported us during Kara’s surgery.  I hope this was one adventure that the Nutt House does not repeat!