I'm Still Alive

Just too busy living life to waste time writing about it.

It's that time of year again

Nevus Conference 2012

GCMN - Surgery Round 5

Apologies first of all for the lack of blog posts, life has been busy.

Apologies also for the crappy phone pics. Despite me packing 3 laptops, a tablet, & chargers, 2 phones, 4 suitcases, 2 back packs, a satchel & clothes for 3 days............... I forgot to pack our camera.



Thursday last week was a busy one. Mr C had to be at the new Royal Children's Hospital for pre-Op check in at 12 so we had all bags packed and ready the night before. Mamma Bear's parents were watching Mr B, Mr T & the 3 Girls and Miss M was coming with MB and I to the hospital.



We made excellent time and had the children at the inlaws by 9:30 leaving us plenty of time to switch from the bus to the mirage and headed into the city. After arriving about an hour early, Mr C was fasting so we had to hold off on brunch instead MB snuck off for a salad roll before we explored the new hospital. I have to say so many things are improved about the new RCH. Parking is ample, its reasonably easy to find your way around, there are plenty of activities for children from large touch screen computer games to a 2 story aquarium, playgrounds icecream shops and much more.



As midday approached we headed up to pre-op and signed in. There used to be multiple waiting rooms on the one floor for surgery there is now one large waiting room, the seating wasn't very well thought out and with 30 odd families crammed in it felt very loud and busy. C was content playing with a couple of transformers I had bought earlier and when they became less exciting he played games on my tablet.



The nurse saw us first weighing him and asking the usual questions before the anaesthesiologist saw us, it was the same doc from C's last op and was very friendly. We were 3rd in line so we were given a pager so we could go for a walk but as we were about to leave it was suggested we should hang around as it would be sooner than expected.



By About 2:30 we were being called in. We changed C into his theatre gown and were greeted by Tony Pennington (his surgeon) along with the anaesthesiologist and one of the plastics registrars. It was discussed and agreed that along with further serial excision of C's Cheek, temple and eyebrow they would also remove the dog ear in his crown from the last op (which was making his hair stand on end). 

Pre-Op Thumbs Up

MB took some snaps before saying goodbye and I headed down the corridor towards theatre. Some gas and anaesthetic and pretty soon C was snoozing so I kissed him and left.

Most times when C is under we grab a bite to eat and hang around the waiting area but because this time MB had arranged to stay and Ronald McDonald House we walked down the road and checked her in and chilled out for all of about 10 minutes before heading back.



We timed it well because we were only waiting what seemed like about 10 minutes before the doc came out and gave us the feedback that all went well. Within another 10 minutes we were by C's bedside in recovery. Some times they have used full dressings on his head other times they have left the sutures exposed, this time they had dressed his temple, eyebrow and cheek and had left the sutures exposed up through his scalp to his crown. He was super groggy coming out of the GA and also on morphine. He was trying to eat an icypole but was clumsily missing his mouth. We were able to start talking to him and soon we were on our way up to the ward.

Recovering on the ward

 The new rooms are really nice, spacious, with seating for a few people plus a chase style couch doubles as a bed for parents. Each room has its own bathroom with dozens of chanels on TV including games and other activities. We kicked back and waited for the drugs to wear off. As soon as he was lucid C wanted food so we started with Jelly and a drink followed by some yoghurt which he brought up pretty quickly.

We left him happily watching TV so I could walk MB to Ronald Mac house and on my return C was already looking for more food. Its hard watching the little ones go all day without food then as soon as they can eat again they go too fast and end up bringing it all up. He did so again with the second serving of food and drink. We decided to leave it til morning so we sat up and watched several episodes of mythbusters on his Laptop while MB and I emailed one another.



I ended up falling asleep at about 1am and slept comfortably although I was woken pretty regularly by some machine in the corridor beeping. I got up around 4:30 and decided to stay up. By 7 C was awake and looking for food. He ate a bowl of corn flakes followed by a bowl of rice bubbles then a bowl of wheat bix, and more importantly kept it all down so I was hopeful we could go home that morning.

Our youngest son and youngest daughter

After a surgical review and some visits by random channel 7 celebrities (of which we had no idea who they were) we had the all clear and headed home.
 

After checking out we played games

Today is 5 days on and we have a Gp Appt to redress the temple/cheek/eyebrow area and a plastics review (and assuming sutures removed) next Monday. C has been propper spoilt (as always) and has truely impressed me yet again with his strength and courage.

GCMN - the road so far

So Mr C started Prep today (well all the billy lids started school but I digress) I suggested talking to the teachers about his nevus, ops, scars, satelites and what not.

So I threw together a bit of DBPP and ended up with an interesting photo log of his journey so far.

Had to share

Happy New Year

We took a chill out down at the river






Goals for this year a simple
1) Rock the new house out
2) Get fitter
3) Ride motorcycles more

More Pics

All gathered round








Our complete little family

Zing

We'd been playing the waiting game for a week or two. You know.... when you know someone is ready to pop, you have that "any day now feeling" our family had been there with MB for a few weeks leading up to last Friday.

I was woken to a loud moan from our en suite, I lept out of bed and found MB singing her way through a contraction. When it resided I asked if we were in business, she said we were.

It was GAME ON.

Between contractions MB gradually made herself a little nest beside our bed that I had moved aside allowing more room.

Miss H was soon awoken by the sounds of birth song coming from our bathroom, I raced downstairs and woke Mr B gave him a USB key full of movies and told home to sit in the lounge with Miss H.
MB asked me to call her mother to come over and watch the children, up until this date she wasn't sure who she wanted to have in her birth space apart from yours truly. The children have all been present at the past three home birth but for this our final MB had been feeling more like it would just be the two of us. I set her up with plenty of towls and a glass of ice for her to crunch on between contractions.

A few more contractions had passed and from outside the en-suite I heard her waters broke, I knew by her sounds deepening that it wasn't far away. There isn't a lot for me to do while MB births her giant babies. I speak only when spoken to I don't touch her I just wait, she becomes almost hypnotised and her eyes glaze over, totally in the zone focusing only on what she has to do.

As the pains got closer and her sounds deepened to open roars she moved to beside the bed and got on all fours. I say beside her having the occasional peak downstairs in search of any action.


What seemed like perhaps not even 3 of four contractions later I could see something crowning, it looked wrinkled and at first I panicked thinking it was the placenta but kept quite and watched in awe.

As the head began to crown I could see the squished face, black hair and quite a bit of vernix.

Once the head was out there was a pause that seemed to last ages, MB calmed herself regained composure and as I watched bubs turned for the final push I held my hand out carefully making sure I didn't touch MB or the baby.

Out plopped the messiest baby I had ever seen, vernix everywhere, both eyes were plugged solid with it, it was thick down my forearms. I glanced down to see the sex just as MB asked "Is it a boy or a girl" I began to cry and laugh at the same time and replied "Its a GIRL!!!!"

Within minutes I helped pass bubs through to MB so she could rest on the floor, we both stared in awe at this beautiful mess that had just came into the world.

Within minutes Mr B came in to tell us MB's mum had arrived so I told him to tell her she had another grand daughter and to wake his brothers and sisters. We announced Miss M to her siblings.

All the children gathered round in semi-shock at this strange looking thing that their parents were crying with joy over. MB passed the placenta so I handled it into a bowl and gave it & the ball of vernix to MB's mum so I could help MB onto the bed and get some rest.
Weighing the squishy bub
Back to mamma bare
My queen
Nanna cut the cord, not something most mums get to do, she was stoked to be part of this special day.

It was all too much for miss H who was the first child to rise and the first to crash, she doesn't have day time naps, on this day she had 2 2.5 hour snoozes, too much hard work I think.
I can't recall all the measurements but she was a 5 kilo bub, 11 pounds in the old speak. She was hands down the filthiest (in a good way) baby I have ever seen. within a few hours nskin to skin with mum all the vernix was soaked in to reveal beautiful olive skin.

While they all look the same to me at birth MB thinks she is very similar to Mr B our eldest in looks and feeding.

I have more pics of the whole fam having a hold, stay tuned for those