It never gets easier

You would think that after having to go through the surgery/anesthesia thing five times that it would get easier, especially for a little dental work. Not so. It still broke my heart when Nani looked up at me in the pre-op area and told me that she wanted to go home, and then again when the nurse picked her up and carried her away. Nope, never gets easier. The procedure went just fine, but the waking up part, not so good. I have had a NG tube a few times and I don't remember it being fun at all. I can only imagine what it is like for a child to have one. Nani woke up coughing and very disoriented. After the anesthesia wore off, the pain set in and I had one unhappy girl in my arms. She was screaming in pain for about 5 minutes when the nurse told me I had the option to give her some Demerol through the IV, or wait until we got home and then give her some Ibuprofen. We went with the Demerol.

It was really sweet when the nurse in the post-op looked up at me and asked if we had been there before. She had recognized us from when Nani had her palate repair done there in 2005. I remembered her face too. Just another little tender mercy. What a blessing to have had good nurses, they really make all the difference.

We are home at last, and Nani is still resting. What a blessing to have the medical care that we have, even though it is not fun sometimes to have the challenges that come with it. And what a strong little girl that we have in our family. I already admire her strength and determination.