Tuesday, January 09, 2007

"Emergence Delirium" - WITH UPDATE

"Emergence Delirium." I was a little unsure what that was too, but it did not sound very pleasant. Unfortunately, I may experience it today. My youngest goes in today to have tubes put in her ears, which, in and of itself, does not sound like a very pleasant thing to have done.

I made it through childhood and 14 years of playing football, and have never had any surgery. This seems like a fairly common and harmless surgery. However, with my general concern as a parent and lack of experience with surgeries, I am not taking this very well. I may very well be "that guy" who needs oxygen by the end of the day. Good think I'll be at a hospital.

I'm sure they're preparing us for the worst with the literature we received pre-surgery. My expectations are nothing short of a horror film, with my little family as the main characters. Will I be the hero, or will I pull a Costanza, pushing women and small children out of the way, as I make my break for the exit?

I present to you a small (and I mean small) excerpt from our pre-surgery novel.

Recovery Period After Your Child's Surgery

After your child's surgery / procedure, your child will go to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit / PACU. The PACU is an open room with areas separated by curtains to provide visual privacy for each family.

In the PACU, a nurse will be at your child's bedside for the entire recovery period to ensure his / her safety and comfort.

Though it is a very busy place, we encourage each family to focus their attention on their child. Some children may be affected by the crying of other children. Please know we are working to comfort each child and family.

The amount of time children spend in the PACU varies from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the type of procedure and anesthetic. We will make every effort to reunite you and your child in the PACU as soon as possible.

We will reach you in the surgery waiting area to invite you to your child's bedside. Please do not hesitate to ask your nurse if you need assistance while in the PACU.


What You'll See in the PACU

Most children receive oxygen through a face mask for a period of time after anesthesia. Sometimes children look pale, puffy or swollen after surgery. This is normal.

Children differ in their reactions to anesthetics. Some have an upset stomach and may vomit. Often children are give medications to help decrease the possibility of nausea and vomiting. Some may have dizziness for a period of time.

If a breathing tube is used during surgery, some may have a sore throat. This is normal.

Children wake up differently from anesthesia. Some children wake up quickly and may be awake before their families arrive at the bedside. Other children may still be sleeping from the effects of anesthesia.

Please do not wake your child. In our experience, children often have a gentler and more comfortable wake up when they wake on their own.

Some children wake up shivering though they are not cold. Encouraging your child to take deep breaths will help. Those who have had intravenous / IV pain medication may have an extremely itchy nose. This itch will go away.

Some children wake up restless or irritable. Some appear awake but are not aware of what is going on around them.

Some cry, thrash, arch their back, reach out and seem
inconsolable, even when they are in their parent's arms. This behavior is not usually related to pain, and children do not usually remember it.

This restless or irritable wake up is known as "emergence delirium." About one third of young children who have brief procedures experience emergence delirium, but it may
occur in children of any age, even after a longer time under anesthesia.

Emergence delirium may be upsetting for you to see, but be assured that it will go away. Sometimes it lasts about 10 minutes. Other times, it lasts up to an hour or longer.


By staying calm, speaking softly, and remaining at the bedside, you can be a comfort to your child. Your nurse will be at the bedside to reassure and support you in consoling and comforting your child.

You and your child are welcome to stay in the PACU until this restless or irritable stage passes. However, in our experience, returning to a familiar environment often helps calm children.

The most effective way to help your child may be to return to
your hospital room or your car. Your child may calm down after the car ride home or a brief nap.




Remember that scene in Alien when we first see the, well, Alien come out of the guys chest? Or, when Linda Blair is tied to the bed in the Exorcist? That's what I'm expecting. Minus the actual Alien and the priest throwing around holy water.

And this PACU place sounds nothing short of a concentration camp medial unit, with doctors running around yelling STAT all the time.

Wish me luck!

Baba Ganoush, OUT!


***UPDATE***
The surgery went well yesterday. We went back with her when she was put to sleep. The doc gave her some bubblegum flavored gas. He seemed like he was just letting her smell what it was like, but we were actually underway.

She went down without a problem. We sat down in the waiting room, I had just started to worry, and they came to tell us they were done. So, we were off to the concentration camp, where I was fully prepared to see devil babies using their evil powers to rule the world. My only comfort was the medical staff that would inevitably be yelling STAT to warn the world of the evil within.

I walk in with my eyes closed, and to my surprise, things are very calm. And their is our little girl, sucking on a bottle of apple juice livin' the high life. No "emergence delirium." She was actually very happy and laid back (she gets that from her Dad!). And now she is just like Jamie Sommers, as her ear procedure seems to have giving her bionic hearing.

Again, thanks for all the kind thoughts. It turned out well, but I will be happy never to have to see any of my children through surgery again!

Baba Ganoush, OUT!

37 comments:

Evil Spock said...

It's a fairly common procedure. I see it in a lot of medical histories for children that go through my program.

You don't have anything to worry about, but regardless I hope everything goes by pleasantly.

Divian said...

I can certainly understand that! Being the paranoid mother of four that I am, I have visited the hospital more than I would have liked too.

Hope all is well!

Just telling it like it is said...

tehhheee funny Dr. running around yelling stat...that goes a long way for me...
I understand your pain...
I'm sure every thing will work out just fine...and if not you can always ask for oxygen..

Baba Ganoush said...

ES - Your heart-felt concern is deeply appreciated. When my people come to rule the world, you will be on the protected list.

Awaiting - Have any experience with tubes?

If it is all that common, you should have. OMG, it is NOT all that common, is it? That is all a bunch of propoganda!

Like It Is - One of these trips to the doctor I'm going to run around yelling STAT. Think the guys in the white uniforms will come get me?

Just telling it like it is said...

I donno but one time one time I yelled stat and someone came and took me away( okay it was Dr. Goldenrod and I really didn't mine being pulled into the clean utility room)...butt...you might not want to take your chances...

Baba Ganoush said...

Just Telling Me - If I am going to attract the attention of Dr. Goldenrod, there is no way I am yelling STAT.

Maybe yelling STAT around a group of cute RNs will have the same affect!?! Hmmm.....

mollymcmo said...

ahh, i'm sure everything will be ok with your daughter. we just got out of hospital with mine and its so hard to see them go through anything like that, you just want to take their place.

there should be plenty of oxygen to go around should you need it, try yelling code white (violent patient) for sure you'll be surrounded :)

m

Baba Ganoush said...

MC Mommy - Thanks for sharing. I will be happy if we don't have to go back for a LONG time.

Kristin said...

Hope all went well!

Baba Ganoush said...

Kristin - Thanks for the well wishes!

FreakyNick said...

I'm glad all went well. I can relate.

I still have nightmares from when I had to take my then 7 year old daughter in for emergency plastic facial surgery after crashing a bike, and her face, into a chain link fence. The crash rearranged some parts of her face (nose and lips). I would have rather had the surgery on myself, than on her. I don't know who was hurting or crying more, her or I, when they started to numb her face and nose. I had to leave. Luckily, everything came out well, the scars were very faint, and no one could tell she had facial surgery.

I have a terrible fear of doctors and surgery, I have only met one doctor, out of twenty or so, that I have ever trusted. For some reason I don't fear women doctors as much as men doctors. I had a vasectomy, and had no problem with the female doctor abusing my private area. I have no explanation for that.

Thanks for visiting the blog.

Baba Ganoush said...

Nick - Glad to hear everything worked out. These are the kinds of things I'm afraid of that are making me over-protective of my kids.

I want them to have a lot of experiences, so I'm going to have to get over the fear of getting hurt. If I don't they'll grow up sheltered. And then they'll go to college, and......

I have to fix my phobia now.

JLee said...

oh, I'm so glad it went well! My daughter was in the hospital at 1 1/2 and it was the hardest thing I have ever been through. It's funny how much we worry about them. I used to go and peek in on her so many times at night! They are much more resilient than we realize sometimes. :)

Baba Ganoush said...

JLee - Our little guy was back in the hospital 3 days after being born with jaundice. I'm just being over-protective (I know).

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear that all went well for your little girl... ;-)

I'm sure you must have been her hero.. ;-)

As I was reading what you wrote in bold letters, I was thinking of the Exorcist..which by the way don't even mention that movie when it starts getting dark out.. I'm still traumatized by that... wasn't it.. Linda Blair????

Baba Ganoush said...

BSB - Glad to see you back again. Yeah, it was Linda Blair. My wife is the same way about that movie. I thought it was scary, but not to the level she thinks it is.

Thanks for the well wishes.

Eve Grey said...

Wow, that was some thorough "scare the parents" literature. Glad it all worked out!

The Absent Minded Landlord said...

I had cronik ear infections as a kid, but for some reason never got tubes. Maybe because I did the arching and thrashing on a regular basis and they didn't want to risk intensifying it.

Dan said...

Baba, I'm very glad to hear that everything worked out well with your sweet little daughter.

Now is she gonna share that apple juice with me or what?

You're a great dad my friend.

Unknown said...

So glad it was smooth and everything went well!

Unknown said...

Wow...my sis spent a lot of time in the hospital when she was a kid and it's never fun. She was just my sis too, not my kid so I can't even imagine what you went through. I am however happy that she is doing well. Hugs:P

Baba Ganoush said...

Sassy - Literally, that was only 2 pages of the 30 page "binder" we got. Sure glad we did not see the "worst."

Thanks for the well wishes.

AML - Since we moved, we've had a few pediatricians. It is amazing how they all differ from what they will diagnose, what they will prescribe, and how they suggest you care for your children.

Actually, it is kind of scary!

Dan - Thanks for the kind words. Being a parent is hard, especially since I don't think I'm fully grown up myself yet.

You'll have to go through our 2 year old for the juice.. He has some strange fetis with Apple Juice, and stakes claim to any he sees. I kid you not, "Apple Juice" are the first words out of his mouth EVERY morning!

Kristin - Thank you very much! She was an easy going baby to begin with, but she is even more laid back now that her ears are better.

Snowball - I wasn't that worried about it until we read the "worst case scenario" version of the day, as provided by the Good Doctors. I know they have to tell parents all that stuff, but it really put an edge on the day.

Thanks for the kind words!

Anonymous said...

BG, glad everything went well! I had to take my poor little doxie to the vet yesterday. Not the same, but I was still scared. She was in great pain for no apparent reason. Turns out, she seems to have slipped a disk in her back. Have to give her muscle relaxers and pain killers. Plus, have to carry her up and down the stairs for a couple weeks! Poor thing!
Ramzi

Webmiztris said...

wow, I'm glad you (and she!) didn't have to deal with "emergence delirium"! it sounds very "bad acid" trippy!

Baba Ganoush said...

Ramzi - The nice thing was that she was not in any pain.

Hmmm - Muscle Relaxers and Pain Killers. I can trade you beer for some of that, for my, cat. Yeah, that's it, cat!

Miztris - And to think, people pay good money to take drugs that will induce things like that.

Although, a "bad acid" trip, is probably not something acid users want.

pinknest said...

i also get very paranoid when it comes to anything to do in a hospital. i've found that knowing everything and anything about what you're going to go through is a HUGE help. anyway, i'm glad it went well!

Anonymous said...

Funny, BG, Evil Spock tried to swindle me out of Pepper's pain killers, too! Sophie does not need them!
Ramzi

Steven said...

Glad to hear that everything turned out alright big guy.

Steve~

Stephanie said...

Glad to hear all was well. I had to have several sets of tubes in when I was growing up, and then inevitable one would would naturally fall out (as it's supposed to) and then the other one wouldn't, and then I'd have to go in and have it removed. The difference pre-tubes and post-tubes is amazing. I bet your little girl feels 100% better with all that fluid out!!!

Baba Ganoush said...

Pinknest - Thanks! Sometimes it's best NOT to know everything. My eye surgery for example. It was really not that bad, but because I knew what they were doing every step of the way, I had a hard time with it. Plus, I'm a bit of a sissy anyway.

Ramzi - I think muscle relaxers should be over the counter.

Steve Novak - Thanks for the well wishes Steve!

Doc Steph. - Yeah, you can really tell that she is feeling better. I certainly hope we do not have to go back in and get them removed.

It all seemed pretty painless though.

Anonymous said...

Would there even BE any stress if muscle relaxers were over the counter? I think not!
Ramzi

HeatherLynn said...

BG ~ It's endearing to hear of your worry and concern for your little girl....coming from a girl who's dad couldn't have cared less about her....it's heart warming to hear of a father's love of his daughter.

Congrats, you are one of the good guys!

~hl~

Baba Ganoush said...

Ramzi - I think I will try to con the doctor into giving me some when I go for my physical next month.

I think a sudden case of a bad lower back should do it.

HL - Being good now is just me trying to make up for some sketchy college days.

Michelle said...

Children are amazingly resilient little creatures.

It seems to be the parents who most often freak out!

Baba Ganoush said...

Michelle - Yeah, I'll never forget the first time I saw blood coming out of my little guy (busted lip). I freaked out, but seconds later he was fine.

mollymcmo said...

just read your update, glad to hear it all went well :)

m

Jenny! said...

I'm glad that she's doing well after surgery! That shit is scary, no matter how "common" surgeons tell you it is. I find myself being a bit of a worry-wart with my son...he feels a little hot...better bust out the anal thermometer...no wonder kids grow up to hate their parents...we are alwasy sticking things in their butts!

Hope her recovery is quick and painless. The surgery will be well worth if it clears up those painful ear infections!