Our day started really early. Though 5 o'clock and I are not really good friends, Sawyer is generally awake that time of the day. And by generally I mean on any day that you don't have to be anywhere at a certain time. Because on those days, that's when he likes to sleep in. Like today. When I had to drag him out of bed at 5:45.
We arrived at the surgery center shortly after 6 a.m., where we filled out more paperwork and signed more consent forms. And then we waited. Once we were called back, they went over the procedure and then we signed more papers. And then we waited again. Then the anesthesiologist came in to go over their part. And we signed more forms. And then we waited again.
About 7:45 Sawyer was taken back. We let him keep his iPad with him, to make the transition easier. He looked back over his shoulder a few times, as if to say why aren't you coming with me, but he never cried or complained. He just went right back to his movie on his iPad.
Fifteen minutes later, I was called in to talk to his ENT. The procedure went well. Only one stitch required, just to minimize excessive spreading. It will dissolve on it's own, so no removal required. In addition to the anesthesia, they also using an injection to numb the area under his tongue. His doctor told me again how he thinks it will be beneficial long-term for Sawyer, as he had already seen increased mobility. Recovery is only expected to last through the day.
I was sent back to the waiting room for another 10 minutes or so, then I was called back into the recovery room. Having warned them that he could be aggressive if he woke up in a strange room with strange people, they wanted me there with him as he woke up.
Immediately we saw him sticking his tongue further out of his mouth than he had ever done before. He also was sticking his fingers into his mouth and licking everything in sight. Our challenge during the day is going to be keeping his hands out of his mouth and also to keep him from licking everything he sees. He definitely has a sensory and/or texture issue with the procedure, at least initially.
The good news is he seems fine. A little grump, especially with all of the reminders to keep his fingers out of his mouth. But he's already finished two Gatorade drinks, a few popsicles, and even some applesauce. He passed on the ring pop (very unusual), but picked it back up after he finished the applesauce.
We're taking the rest of the day easy - watching some favorite animated movies on the big screen and snacking at will. The free-flowing drinks and snacks, he's all for. The constant monitoring by Mommy to keep those hands down, he could do without.
All in all, a successful day. Most likely he will return to school tomorrow, and we will follow up with the ENT in a few weeks to make sure all is healing well. And we'll hope that the procedure not only increases mobility (which it already has), but that it also helps with long-term speech production.
Just another day in the life ...