Jasper's Thumb Surgery

Jasper had his long awaited thumb surgery on Tuesday (May 14). His thumb looked like this...

and when he complained about it feeling tight, we went back to the doctors and they said they would operate to loosen it, and try to straighten it. Jasper wanted it chopped off at the joint, but they declined!

We didn't have to get to the hospital until 11am,as he was on the afternoon schedule. That meant no eating after 7am, and no only clear fluids between 7am and 11am. He had a HUGE breakfast, and nothing else to eat or drink after 6.45am.
I was in the same boat - I can't eat if he isn't allowed to... just doesn't seem fair.

They didn't seem to understand my need for Jasper to have a blood count done prior to surgery, and when they finally GOT IT, the phlembotomist (vampire), didn't get enough blood to get a good count done. GRRRR. All of this pushed us further down the surgery list, and so instead of going in at 2.15pm, it was 4.45pm. The surgeon said it should take about 30 minutes, but it was about 6.30pm before I  saw him.

Here are some pre-surgery photos.
Initially, we were in a group room with other "day surgery" kids waiting for surgery... slowly they went in one by one, until we were the last ones left.
Then they started coming back, all post surgery, so they asked Jasper and I to move to a small treatment room... it was better, a bed, quiet, and surgical gloves!!! We played a bit!!

 Then in the pre-op bay, we had to wait for the surgeons and anesthetics consultant. Jasper found a trike! In between complaining about hunger, he had a zoom around!

Post surgery was a bit different from biopsy... he wouldn't wake up!! One of the nurses in the post-op bay had a cold wash cloth and was wiping it over his face talking to him REALLY loud! I didn't like it. There was another little girl they were trying to bring around by tickling her with a tissue! Meanie.

He finally woke up enough to drink some juice, hold it down, and open his eyes, so they let us go home. It was almost 8.30pm.

He came home with no pain relief, just the words of "paracetamol", as he can't have ibuprofen.

Wednesday saw Jasper at my bedside saying "it hurts really bad" at 3.30am. I gave him a dose of paracetamol and sent him back to bed. Then he was at me again at 6.30am. I gave him more at 7.30am.

The day saw a LOT of this:

 which made the following happen:

Wednesday, 3.30pm saw me dropping Molly at my parents again... (she had slept there Tuesday night). Jasper and I headed to the hospital as he was SCREAMING in pain, saying it was 8/10.

We were fast tracked through emergency, and they cut the bandages off, took the cast off, and this was the best photo I could get:

 Jasper demanded I do NOT take a photo, as he was freaking out. I am queasy as anything, but had a good look once they took all the coverings off... It looked AMAZING! There are 2 pins sticking out the top of his thumb, and the stitches now go from his existing scar all the way up his thumb! Jasper is now demanding that I take a photo of it, so I will as soon as I can!

The doctor said we should stay the night to get the pain under control, and we got some hard core meds into Jasper.

Before Oxycodone:

 During Oxycodone:

 After Oxycodone: (yes, I took in school work... no change of clothes, or phone charger, but I took maths!!)

 Here he is getting the old cast removed and a new plastic splint-like cast fitted... Nick, the physio said I was free to take photos, as long as I didn't get him in them!

 This set up worked much better.. it doesn't put as much pressure on his thumb, and we can remove it to air his arm out when it starts to get stinky!

 At home, with a very tired momma!

 It doesn't take long to get back to normal around here... tormenting his sister on the swing...

 swinging (albeit with one arm)

Jasper seems to be ok once the pain meds kick in... but he is watching the clock to see when his next dose is. I am only giving him a half dose of the oxycodone and seeing how he goes with that. The paracetamol is 6am, 12 noon and 6pm.

We have a follow up with the surgical team on Wednesday, so will know more then!

Thanks for reading,

Brooke