Do I have to choose between them? (ear tube MoMs come in)

thiswillbe

Our kiddos are both going in for ear tubes tomorrow morning (well, DS is having additional surgery, as we recently discovered he has significant hearing loss, but then he's getting tubes). I am waiting for a call back from the surgery coordinator, but in the meantime can you MoMs who have BTDT tell me how it goes? I'm trying to think through the logistics of it all.

I'm kinda assuming that I'll have to pick a baby to be with as they are going under. Even if they put them under anesthesia one after another, they won't let the 2nd baby be in the room as the 1st is going under, will they? How about for waking up? Again I'm anticipating separate rooms.

Bonus points to anyone who can calm my nerves-- I am so anxious for our little kiddos!! 

 

OrangeSmoke

Just had it done last week!

I was a wreck - complete and utter wreck over it.  But it really wasn't a huge deal and I somehow lived (oh yeah, the kids are ok too).  We weren't allowed in the operating room and in someway I think that might've been easier on me.

So for us, the sequencing goes like this:

DH and I arrive at hospital - I do paperwork while he entertain the boys

Pre-op stuff  - dh and I each hold a baby

Harry goes in - dh and I chill with Alex

Harry comes out - stays in recovery for 5 min with nurses

I get scrubbed up and goes into post op recovery to see Harry, dh stays with Alex.  This is the worst part IMO.  They were crying soooo hard because the anthesia makes them feel loopy. 

Harry is released to secondary recovery- dh shows up (they took Alex in the interim)

Alex comes out - stays in recovery for 5 min with the nurses

I go in to post op to see Alex - repeat scene with Harry but worse.

Alex is released to secondary recovery- still hesterical.  Dh holds Harry while I hold Alex.  Alex refused all juice so we gave him some formula.  Drank some and was still insolable.  Finally, some super tylenol did the trick.

30 min after tylenol - both are released.  Load up the car, they promptly fall asleep.

I drive around aimlessly for an hour.

Home - lunch and another nap

GOOD AS NEW!!!  We even went out to dinner that night!

omalley

Both of my boys got tubes put in on the same morning - I was a wreck but it was so easy and non-stressful!  Yours will do great!

We brought the boys in and put on their hospital gowns and they got weighed.  They gave them their "giggle juice" - I now know what my boys will look like when they are drunk.  They were so cute and this totally helped calm my nerves.

They took Connor in first and what felt like five minutes later they were coming in for James and telling me that Connor was already in recovery.  It was so fast!

James cried a lot in recovery but calmed down and we had a very normal, relaxing day.  They took a little longer nap but by the afternoon you would never have known that they had the procedure done that morning.

ETA: I was not in the operating room with either of them when they were going under.  It was not an option.

sara1014

Mine didn't have general anesthesia for the procedure - I think it was more like a gas like they'd use at the dentist office.  But we arrived at the surgical site, and they took us back to pre-op with both babies and we answered some questions, got bands, etc.  (Mine were also part of a post-tubes study so we filled out paperwork for that.)

Then a nurse took back the first baby (H went first) and soon after took back M for the very last preparations.  We went back out to the waiting room and were there for probably no more than 3 minutes before Hannah was done and ready for us in recovery.  She was screaming and angry when she came out of anesthesia, but when they brought Marshall out, he was as cool as a cucumber.  He just kind of laid on me and checked out the surrondings.  Poor DH was the lucky duck holding Hannah.  

We weren't in a recovery "room", just a curtain and rocking chairs.  It allowed us to be in the same space with both babies.  However, this may be because  they didn't have gen. anesthesia.  

We were in and out in about 2.5 hours and home.  They were pretty subdued the rest of the morning, had a small snack, and then a nice long nap (which we ALL needed).  That afternoon all was back to normal and they appeared to feel better than ever - after ear infection after ear infection - they probably did!

Christmas was 2 days later and they were in perfect celebrating condition!  

Good luck!  Your kiddos will be so happy when they are well again!! 

pea-kay

all three of mine had them done on the same day. it will help if you have someone else to help. we had my ILs there, so DH and I would go with the one waiting for surgery, then we'd wait for one to come out, and then someone would be with the one going under, and the ILs would be in the room with someone either out of recovery or waiting for sedative...

heck, it was very confusing. i can't even remember what we did. i'm no help!

Mrs.Kiltlifter

Pretty much what PP said.  Just to add...when they come out of the anesthesia it SUCKS.  They scream.  For some reason every time DS hiccuped he screamed, and we are talking HOURS after surgery.  so weird.

leviandlandensmom

No advice - just wanted to say GL!

ougrad1

OrangeSmoke:

Just had it done last week!

I was a wreck - complete and utter wreck over it.  But it really wasn't a huge deal and I somehow lived (oh yeah, the kids are ok too).  We weren't allowed in the operating room and in someway I think that might've been easier on me.

So for us, the sequencing goes like this:

DH and I arrive at hospital - I do paperwork while he entertain the boys

Pre-op stuff  - dh and I each hold a baby

Harry goes in - dh and I chill with Alex

Harry comes out - stays in recovery for 5 min with nurses

I get scrubbed up and goes into post op recovery to see Harry, dh stays with Alex.  This is the worst part IMO.  They were crying soooo hard because the anthesia makes them feel loopy. 

Harry is released to secondary recovery- dh shows up (they took Alex in the interim)

Alex comes out - stays in recovery for 5 min with the nurses

I go in to post op to see Alex - repeat scene with Harry but worse.

Alex is released to secondary recovery- still hesterical.  Dh holds Harry while I hold Alex.  Alex refused all juice so we gave him some formula.  Drank some and was still insolable.  Finally, some super tylenol did the trick.

30 min after tylenol - both are released.  Load up the car, they promptly fall asleep.

I drive around aimlessly for an hour.

Home - lunch and another nap

GOOD AS NEW!!!  We even went out to dinner that night!

I kept meaning to ask you how it all went down.  Glad to hear it went okay and that you guys were able to go out to dinner.

I've done my girls but, never two at the same time. 

snuggles05

My son had them done twice, the second time he also had his adnoids taken out. They took the younger ones first, after he was under and with his ENT we went down for a cup of coffee. We weren't gone more than 10 min & when we came back they were already looking for us.

UsedToBeGoldie

easiest and fastest surgery ever --- you'll all do fine - you'll just need your DH or another adult with you doing it with 2 kids.