Johnny the Brave

On Thursday, we went in to see Dr. Shelton for Johnny's pre-op appointment.  He went over how the whole procedure was going to go.  Johnny had fun while we were waiting for the doctor to come.  He would sit on the doctor's chair and would sign for me to sit in the patient chair and then proceed to examine my hand.  He seemed to think it looked ok because he would then motion for me to leave.  Then I would sit again and the whole thing would be repeated again.  Then he wanted to have Eliza sit by him, and he would examine her.

When the doctor came in he 

explained how things would proceed the following day.  We became nervous when he told us that we would not be in the room when Johnny went under.  Instead he would be taken back to the OR doors, and then Johnny would go through the doors and we would go back to the waiting room, until it was done.  We were worried about how he would do with that.  Then the doctor went ahead and marked Johnny's right ear for the procedure. 

The next day we got up bright and early and were at the hospital at 7:15 to check in.  We waited in the first waiting room until they called us back.  Johnny was sad when we went back because he was having so much fun playing with all the toys.  When we went back they took his weight and height then we went in a room and changed him into his hospital pajamas.  This was probably the point when Johnny started to realize that this was not a normal doctor's appointment.  After a few minutes in that room, we went to a second waiting room with more toys, where we would wait to be taken back to the OR. Johnny was really enjoying himself with all the toys there and they had curious George on, so it was fun.  Then the anesthesiologist came in and wal

ked us back to the OR.  Johnny rode in the wagon with his Batman pillow.  Then we got to the doors and left Johnny with the doctors and went back to the waiting room.

Erica was the first to coback when Johnny was waking up.  She said that his face was really swollen, and when she got back there he was rolled up in a ball in his bed crying.  I was glad it was her and not me.  It was hard when I saw him.  He had the dressing wrapped around his head covering his wound and he was out of it.  It was really hard to see him like that, and to know it was my choice to have him here and to get this procedure done.  I knew before that the cochlear implant would op

en doors for Johnny and enable him to have as many communication tools as possible in his life.  I knew that, but it was hard to think about it as a good thin when he was laying in my arms.  He never looked mad or sad, just tired. 

We brought him home later that day, and it was hard to watch him all day.  He was not himself.  He just laid on the couch and slept.  When he was awake he would just lay there and watch TV.  For those of you who know Johnny, you know how out of character that is for him.  Later I was up with him and he signed football to me.  I gave him a football, and he threw it and began to laugh a little , and it was the first time I saw a glimpse of my Johnny that day.  Over the next couple of days, we saw more and more of him come out.  Now he is back being himself, except he still can't quite walk straight, so we try to limit his mobility, and he is just bored to tears and wants to get out of the house.  

Watching him go through all of this, I realized that my son is a super hero.  He is so tough.  He has cried and whined so little through all of this.  I know this will be a good thing for him, but it does not make me excited for the next one we'll have to go through with Eliza.