Be it tubes or tonsils, cyst, hernia or un-descended testicles, it isn’t rare to find yourself accompanying your child to some sort of procedure, somewhere along the way. While undoubtedly a scary time, it is of utmost importance to your child that you remain collected and organized.
Do your best to make sure that your child is familiar with the main characters on the court. On top of being important that your child knows and trusts the doctor, if possible, take some time to see what the hospital looks like and to see the recovery play area. For some children, seeing a large building is scary in itself. For others, it won’t even make them blink.
- Delicately explain to your child a general description of the surgery. There’s no need to get into the nitty-gritty details, but stress that she won’t feel pain and that she’ll be in much better shape after recovery.
- Let your child know ahead of time if you’ll be able to accompany her into the operating suite.
- In the event that there will be special conditions to follow after the surgery, such as earplugs for swimming or a special diet for a while, let your child know. Better yet, go on a shopping trip together ahead of time and pick out all your child’s favorite, acceptable foods.
- Don’t forget a toy/prize as a post-op distraction in the hospital.
As for yourself, as always, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
- Stock up on light reading material.
- Stock your freezer, freeing yourself up from cooking for at least a week. Chances are, your child will be in just fine shape most of that time, but you’ll have to go back for a post-op check, make sure to administer medications on time and your child might need some extra cuddles and snuggles.
- If you have other children, make sure you’re more than covered on child care for the children staying home on operating day. It will take a load off your mind to know that your other child(ren) are absolutely, positively not going to be a worry.
When your child is out of earshot, contact the doctor and/or hospital staff in advance and line up the following:
- Ask the medical staff if a security blanket or favorite animal can accompany the child, at least until he is under anesthesia. Take into account that you’ll have to wash the item ahead of time.
- Just to make sure, ask if the IV can be put in while the child is under anesthesia. If that is impossible, ask for a pain killer cream such as Emla to be put on the insertion point in enough time to dull the pain of an IV. Many hospitals have this in place as standard procedure.
The common thread throughout all these points is to thoroughly know what will happen, and to make it as friendly as absolutely possible. The hospital staff is your partner in this. Treat your child with the respect she deserves in explaining, even on the level of a two- or three-year-old, what it is that will happen. After all, even though you’re the worried parent, it’s really is the child that is going through the bulk of the experience.
With best wishes for your whole family to feel great once life returns to normal!
Aviela is a multi-tasking, public-speaking, work-at-home mother of six decently-adjusted, mostly happy children.
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