Katie's 4th surgery

The final surgery day arrived

I had woken Katie up at 4:30 in morning to let her eat since her surgery was at 1 in the afternoon.

We didn't home from the state fair Thursday night until close to 10:30.

I was hoping that waking her up at that time and having her eat, she won't be so miserable with hunger pains all morning.

It helped but she still was complaining of being hungery.

We arrived at the hospital at 11 and waited for about 1/2 hour before being brought into the pre op room to get ready.  Katie is a pro at this and was ready for the tv remote.  We had her  ENT doctor that was doing the drilling and working in the ear canal came first.  He talked briefly with us, but had another patient waiting in surgery, so he couldn't stay long.  Dr Walch came in and Katie along with Dave and I relaxed, he never makes you feel like he is in a hurry, he chit chats about things and when the State Fair came up, he started to ask Katie all kinds of questions about it wanting her opionons on things.  He is so awesome.  He explained that he was going to assist the ENT doctor but that he was going to do some more comestic surgery on her, to shape the ear.

Katie's Pre-op nurse was suprised that Katie wanted IV put in and not the mask to go to sleep.  When she was doing it, she put it in at the bend of the elbow which Katie didn't like, she wasn't rough with her, but she wasn't exactly gentle.  They also made the decision (not sure who), but they weren't going to let us go back with Katie.  Her previous 3 surgeries, I walked back with her into the OR.  It was hard to say good bye to her in the hallway and watched her be wheeled away.  I said a prayer for her and knew God watching over her and Jesus was walking with her.  We were told the surgery would be 3-4 hours long.

 

About 2 hours into the surgery, I was looking at the pictures I had taken with my phone the night before at State Fair and stumble onto this picture of Erin (she did it the morning of the surgery without me knowing it) telling me "I LOVE YOU", this was such a wonderful surprise.  This is the first time Erin ever said it in any shape or form.  Jesus definately knows when to place a little pick it upper, as this surgery was the most stressful for me.  It was the most because of drilling to the skull...aka brain and that itself is scarier then anything else.

 Shortly after seeing this picture, I get a phone call from the OR.  The ENT doctor hit a bump in the surgery.  He explained that he got to where he needed to put the "hearing" hardware in and in the process discovered that her facial nerve was not protected by bone like it is normally suppose to be.  He went on to explained that he can put it in fairly confidently without damaging the facial nerve, but if it would need to come out in the future, the facial nerve will be damage which means that she would have paralysis on that side of her face and recommended us not to put it in.  Which we agreed with.  I had misunderstood him at first and thought he was referring to hardware that he was putting in for the canal and that when he removes that she has a great chance of paralysis on that side.  So I started to do some praying including to asking for prayer request on FB.  Those last couple hours were very long for Dave and I.  Finally Dr. Walch came out with a big smile on his face and explained what he did on the comestic side and was very please about it.  Great news.  I then asked him about ENT aspect of the surgery and the phone call.  He explained it to the best of his knowledge about the bump in the surgery.  The long tube that he is using to do the surgery with was resting on the exposed facial nerve.  He would then be putting the fake hearing bone in that spot and attching the 3 little bones to it.  Because of the facial nerve not being protected like the "normal" ear would have, it was exposed.  With this nerve exposed, the hardward that he would put in would sit against the facial nerve would built up tissue/scar tissue, if something would happen in the future with the hardware and it needed to be remove, it would be a 100% that he would have to cute the facial nerve to get it out.  I was so glad to hear that and to know that she had a very low risk of any ear damage.

First glimpse of Katie after 6 1/2 hours of surgery.  As soon as she heard my voice she said "mommy you have to call grandma and tell her to start making the chicken noodle soup".  My mom was a head of her and already had made it.  She then started to ask for her slushies, water, ice.  This recovery nurse was so kind, gentle, patience.

Waiting for meds to come so we can go home.....notice the blue slushie.  She had two glasses before she left the hospital in addition to water.

Dave pulled out the IPad for Katie to keep her occupied.  She was getting restless and moving a little bit to much.

Katie and Monika in my bed.  We got home around 11 and Katie had 3 bowls of my mom's famous chicken noodle soup.  Monika had crawled into my bed so she could say good night to me, which didn't happen as she was long asleep before we got home. 

This is what the ear looks like today when I took the bubble bandage off.  She is to be swollen for a couple of weeks. 

Behind the ear.  I was surprised that they cut all the way in the ear.  The ENT doctor told us that he was going in from behind the ear, I was expecting a small cut.

This is her hip, he did some shaving of skin for the ear.  I am not sure the skin went on her ear.

The liquid that you see, that is the antibodic fluild that she has to have twice a day.  We are not to monkey around any chance of infection or rejections.  She did a wonderful job and very proud that everything worked out so far.  Praised the Lord

Without the hardpiece that Katie needed to compelete this surgery isn't in, the DR feels that she will have a hearing loss but that we have many options if we want to do it for hearing purposes or not.  If down the road Katie wants that piece of hardware place in, she can. 

Thank you Jesus for keeping a watchful eye over Katie and helping her doctore to do the surgeries.