I'm sitting in the waiting room outside the operating room at the local
hospital. Daniel is having some minor surgery for a condition known as
pyloric stenosis (don't quote me on that spelling). It basically means that
the muscles controlling the passage between his stomach and small intestine
are over developed and making the passage too narrow. Five years ago his
cousin had something very similar to this. So the operation involves
careful incisions to the area to help reduce that muscle back to normal
size so that food can flow correctly. I was with him here at the hospital
yesterday but they couldn't coordinate between the surgeon and the
operating room. So he stayed over night with a promise to bring him in
first thing in the morning. He'll have to stay here again tonight while
they watch his recovery. Between the snow storm and this, it's been quite
an unusual week!
As you might imagine, this has Michelle feeling a bit helpless but I've
managed to keep her from being too concerned. She'll feel much better when
he's back home with his brother, nursing without throwing up what he just
ate.
This all started several days ago, about the time of the snow storm.
Michelle would nurse him and occasionally he would have significant spit
up. This is unusual for the boys as usually they just burp like you and I.
By the time Wednesday rolled around, I got a call at work that Michelle was
taking him to the doctor because he was spitting up so hard it was coming
up through his nose. The doctor scheduled him for an x-ray to watch him as
he drank a barium solution. Thursday I took him to this visit and the tests
were interesting to watch, but unfortunately inconclusive. So Friday I
brought him back for an ultrasound. They couldn't do an ultrasound the same
day as the x-ray because the barium solution interferes with the ultrasound
imagery. The ultrasound affirmed that he was at the early stages of pyloric
stenosis. At the doctor's recommendation, I checked him into the hospital's
in-patient pediatric unit right away. I waited with him most of the day,
unable to feed him in case an opening in the emergency room should occur.
At three o'clock Michelle came and the doctor confirmed a reservation for
the following morning. (i.e. today) At least this allowed Daniel permission
to eat for a while. He was happy to see Michelle and nurse for while. I
drove home to pick up some reserve supplies of frozen breastmilk to get him
through the night until his next fast would have to occur. Around six
o'clock Michelle and I drove home to take care of the other three children.
Michelle found it surprisingly quiet to have to only deal with one infant!
We went to bed early. Entertaining a hungry baby all day took a beating on
me. Besides, I knew a snow storm was hitting Nashua and I might have needed
to get up early to clear the driveway before I could head to the hospital
for his surgery.
This brings me back to the present. There was significant snowfall last
night, but not so much that I couldn't get out. When I arrived, Daniel was
not happy about having to fast again. This time he was all instrumented up
and prepared for surgery. I stayed with him and calmed him until he went
into the operating room. Now I just wait for the surgery to complete...