home again, home again, jiggity jig

River had surgery at Arkansas Children's Hospital yesterday morning. This was the surgery we knew would be happening ever since he was born. The -ahem- boy parts surgery.

Everything went well, but because of his vWD, he was admitted for 24 hours following the surgery so he could receive his factor infusions and be monitored before going home.

Now that we're home, he will continue to receive a factor infusion once daily for the next three days, which means he still has his IV in place and a home health care nurse will be coming over to administer the medication.

I am so glad that Liam had his hand surgery first. A trial-run of sorts for me. It made all of the extra stuff with River a little less overwhelming:

• the pre-op echocardiogram (he still has those holes in his heart, but he was fine for surgery...)
• deciding with the anesthesiologist whether to give him the IV before he is asleep in the OR so he can wait the full 30 minutes for the factor to take effect or wait on the IV and medication until after he is asleep so he doesn't have to experience the needle prick, which meant only having the factor in his bloodstream for 15 minutes before the surgery began (So, so, so glad we went with the latter option since they had to stick him twice in each hand and three times in one foot before finally getting a suitable vein in the only limb left)
• Watching my baby sleep in a hospital crib with beeping monitors and keeping him calm through all of the nurse's assessments

This list could go on and on, but the staff took excellent care of us, his surgeon was great and came to check on him a few times, and his bleeding is undercontrol. I really have nothing to complain about.

River didn't either. He was either happy or groggy or both nearly the entire time. But as good as everything turned out, I am really glad to be home.



This was before they took him back for surgery. And his little friend's name is Piper. He was a last-minute I-need-to-make-something impulse sewing project. River loves him and kept him close by the entire time. Which I love.