Papa Bear came home on the 24th from being away all month for a training. Baby Bear was sooooo excited to finally see his Papa that he missed like crazy. He wouldn't let Papa out of his sight. Grandma Bear even pointed out that Papa Bear can't even breath the same air molecules without Baby Bear breathing them as well. lol He was literally his shadow. lol
Monday October 28th we got up UBER early and took Baby Bear to Naval Medical Center San Diego or as we call it Balboa Hospital. We got in at about 7 a.m. and started the journey of Baby Bear's surgery. Both Papa and I didn't want to do this surgery. We just both felt this wasn't the right thing to do. And the fact that his Dr. was for it, ten against it, and then suddenly for it again was odd and no very reassuring.
When we arrived we were #2 on the surgery list, but the 1st one hadn't bothered to show up that morning. So they started rushing us through the procedures of paper work, weighing the bear, measuring him, and so on. Then we were taken to the Pre-op area and asked to change the bear into this really cute little two piece scrubs outfit.
One of the male corpsman made Bear's a funny balloon. He sure liked playing with it. 
This Lion is from the Ryan's Lion Organization Year's ago I read about these Lion's that are given to children who need some courage. It is a really neat story to read, and so when Baby Bear was going to get the Surgery I ordered one as soon a I could. It wasn't supposed to arrive until after his surgery but the awesome people at Ryan's Lion made it happen and Baby Bear received it in the mail on Saturday before his surgery. Phew! This Lion was really special and even accompanied our little man into the O.R.
After we said goodbye to our little man the Nurses and anesthesiologist had reassured us all was well. They walked down the hall with the Bear blowing bubbles along the way to keep him interested. I have to say hearing your baby scream and cry because you are leaving him with a stranger and you know he is going to be in pain. Walking away is heart wrenching while you can hear him cry. And trying to not turn into a blubbering mess is hard as well. We went downstairs to the McDonald's and got ourselves breakfast. We didn't have any as Baby Bear couldn't eat before surgery. So we were pretty hungry. We quietly ate our breakfast for half an hour and then suddenly my phone started ringing. I looked at the number and realized it was the Hospital calling. I grabbed it and wanted to just ask WHAT HAPPENED? But it was just the O.R. Nurse calling to tell us that all had gone well. Baby Bear had fallen asleep pretty fast. And that they had just started the surgery. After breakfast we went upstairs to the waiting room and were there for about half an hour. One thing that was pretty awesome was that they had a large flat screen t.v. on the wall that had a list of surgeon's and where they were at the time. It was nice to look up and see that Baby Bear's surgeon was still in the O.R. Soon she came out and told us all went really well and that he was in the recover room. The phone rang on the wall behind us as we were talking to her and someone answered it and said our name. We were told to go down the hall to recovery and comfort our little guy.
As we walked in we could hear him crying. I instantly felt like running to him. Papa Bear picked him up and wrestled with him for an hour in Recovery. Coming out of Anesthesia has always been had for Baby Bear. He screams and cries and struggles the whole time. He throws his arms, arches his back and flails. It is so hard to watch. But finally at 11 a.m. Papa and Baby Bear were wheeled to the Pediatrics ward where we were given a room. Baby Bear wasn't for laying in the crib they supplied, so Papa and I took turns siting with our little man in one of the chairs the whole day. Baby Bear was in and out of consciousness the whole day. On one of my turns I asked for Papa to run to the car and get my suitcase I had packed. Papa brought back a balloon for Bear's, and for the next two days our little man clung to that balloon both while away and while asleep. I hated that he was in pain, and felt so out of it. Things like this stink. It doesn't matter what you do, you can't fix it. And all you want to do is make your little bear all better. (sigh)
We stayed in the hospital for a week with Baby Bear. I asked the corpsman to switch out our crib for an actual bed. Mostly because Baby Bear would not sleep in a bed alone. And for the fact I was planning to spend the week sleeping at the hospital and as great as sleeping on a chair for a week would be with a sick little boy curled up on ya sounds.....it wasn't going to happen. So after a long first day Baby Bear and I curled up in bed and snuggled in bed with the cool new t.v. they had connected to the bed. It had this adjustable arm that allowed you to be laying in bed and then it could come over in front of you, or to either side of you. This t.v. also had Internet, and movies loaded onto it. It was awesome. After Papa left for the night to go home to walk Harley Baby Bear was really upset He spent the ENTIRE night crying and asking for Papa. I kept reassuring him that Papa was coming but Baby Bear wasn't buying it. And then he would alternate between crying and asking for Papa, and crying and asking for YouTube videos of RC Cars. It was a really LONG night!!!!! So the next 3days Papa stayed with Baby Bear and I drove home every single night while Papa and Baby Bear stayed. I have to say walking away from Baby Bear Tuesday night was pretty tough. But Papa staying with Baby Bear was the right decision. Bear's needed his daddy.
The day after surgery hanging out with Papa
finally getting out and about
Getting to play in the children's area and finally detached from all the cords.
Baby Bear had a great team of Dr.'s and nurses and Corpsmen on his team. It was pretty fun to socialize with all of them. We really fell in love with one of his Nurses. a Lt. Stevens. She was pretty dang awesome. We even took her a gift of some Scentsy to say thanks when we went back a week later to say thanks. We made a few friends at the hospital and learned some good stuff. But I do have to say learning all of the lingo, and trying to do the math for the Bear's feeding tube is really hard and intimidating for me. Papa seems to think it's cake. But with my math issues it is a lot harder for me. Oh well.
The Armed Services YMCA came by our room a few times and loaded us with awesome gifts for our bear. The first time they gave him a little people's farmer and tractor set, with some coloring books and crayons. Another time it was a cave man blanket that he is in love with because it has a girl on it he calls Eeep from The Croods. lol The last time they let him pick out his toy since he was up and walking. So he chose a little people set of Cruella de Ville, her car, and a puppy. He loved getting these gifts. I even have to say that this Mama Bear might have caved and brought a few of Baby Bear's Christmas presents to him early. lol I am a complete sucker for my little man. I think that is why I have gotten all his Christmas presents already and wrapped them as well. 1- so that I can't keep giving him his gifts before Christmas. lol and 2- so that I could actually give him wrapped gifts this year. lol I figured if I wrapped them while Papa is still here then I can do it without Bear's interfering. lol
starting to feel good
watching YouTube videos of RC Cars
Finally breaking out of this place!
I am not sure, but he looks pretty happy to be leaving. what do you think?
Rawwrrrr
Finally home!
So this first week home has been pretty good. Only a few ooopses of overfilling the bear and him getting sick. It is still a struggle of trying to clean his wound area, and hook and un-hook him from his machine. He really hates having a feeding tube and it makes me sad. I hate that he has to have one. But I do have to say our little man has gained 2 lbs. in 2 weeks. That is more than he could even gain in 6 months!!! Holy Mooo Cow I am soooo proud of him!
I am not sure how I am going to survive this deployment, but we will somehow figure it out, or we are going to fail miserably trying.
XoXo-Mama Bear!!
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