It's Surgery Day!!

This is a scheduled post.
Well the day is finally here. Surgery Day. 1 day shy of exactly 17 months old and M2 is having surgery. He’s had several surgeries, we’ve done this before, we know the drill.

But this surgery is different from all others. This isn’t the surgery that he was taken to the OR from the NICU and back, this isn’t outpatient surgery either. This is the BIG surgery. The check in and stay awhile surgery. Today, August 19th, my Precious Little Sweetie gets a NEW AIRWAY! We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.
When M2 was first born we were given hope that although he was born with vocal cord paralysis, he might grow out of it quickly. When he was 5 weeks old we were told he wasn’t growing out of it as fast as the drs thought he would and that we should have the trach surgery and go home to live a ‘normal’ life. We were told that as he grew his vocal cords might start working and he would be just fine. But he needed a trach to leave the hospital.


In December of 2008, when he was just 9 months old, those hopes were dashed and we were told there was nothing the drs could do, his cords just weren’t moving and he would live with a trach his whole life.
In March of 2009, just 2 weeks before his first birthday, we found a new surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who told us he could perform a surgery so that M2 could have his trach removed. We were told that he might lose part of his voice, and he might get winded easily, and he might have to have some speech and occupational therapy as a result of the surgery but the trach would be out. But he was too young for the surgery. This dr wanted to see him back when he was 16 months old.
On July 20, when M2 was exactly 16 months old we went back to Cincinnati. M2 was old enough, healthy enough, big enough and strong enough. Surgery was scheduled for today, Aug 19. 8 years and 1 day after Hubby and I were married, 1 day before M2 turns 17 months old. Today is the day that changes everything, not only for M2 but for our entire family.

As you can see M2 is the happiest baby in the world. He’s my little lover. He hugs and kisses everything. He smiles and waves and blows kisses at everyone he sees. He lets his Mommy (he can say Mama, ‘around’ his trach by the way) cuddle him and hug him and kiss him constantly. If he walks past me and I’m doing something he almost always stops and hugs my leg quickly and then moves on. He makes me a better Mommy.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember the time he spent in the NICU, or the PCIU, or all the procedures he’s gone through, or that terrifying ride in the squad. All of those memories flood my mind everyday. And everyday I am brought to tears to think about how my sweet little baby has spent the last 17 months of his life. And then I realize that he doesn’t know, or care about any of these things, all he cares about is that he is loved. And he is. More than I ever thought it possible to love someone. M2 brings joy and laughter and smiles to our loves daily. I could sit and watch him dance for hours. I love to watch him eat. He has the cutest mannerisms I’ve ever seen. And no matter what he’s doing he is laughing or smiling. And those smiles carry over to everyone that sees him. He just has that effect on people.

He loves to play in the bathtub, and the sand box. Stuffed animals and pull toys are his favorite things to play with. He sleeps with 3-4 stuffed animals every night. He carries them around with him and hugs them constantly. He is way too attached to his pacifier, he takes it out to eat or drink and then puts it right back in.

He loves to ride on his rocking horse and his bull dozer ride-on. He thinks his brother’s toy kitchen is one of the best toys on the planet, and he loves all of our pets. And he LIVES in his crocs.

So today, ‘My Little Sweetie’, my little M2; with the name bigger than he is, gets a new airway. I will be the Mommy sitting in the waiting room, a nervous wreck during this 3 hour surgery, and then I will be the Mommy sitting in the rocking chair cuddling her baby with the new airway.
Please keep my Little Sweetie in your thoughts today, this is going to be a pretty big surgery. I can't wait for this to all be over and for that trach to COME OUT!