Gavin's black eye got worse overnight. When the nurse woke him up at 6:45 am to do a heel prick for blood work, he was unable to see out of his left eye, which made him pretty agitated. The nurses all approached him from the left side, so I had to keep reminding them to talk to him so he would know they were there since he couldn't see them.
Even though he couldn't see out of one eye, he was much more like himself than the day before. The oral pain meds didn't make him sleepy and dazed like the IV pain meds, so he spent longer chunks of time awake, kicking his legs constantly! He spent the morning nursing, sleeping, and wanting to be entertained. He had not, however, pooped since the surgery. He was very gassy from all the medication, and he was visibly uncomfortable as his tummy would gurgle and he would pass gas. To try and "help him along," we asked the nurse for a glycerine suppository.
When the neurosurgeon came in at 1:30 pm to remove the bandages, I was anxious and excited to see the incision. The surgeon cut and removed sections at a time, and Gavin did really well until we had to sit him up to finish unwrapping the gauze. He refused to be consoled, so he cried the entire time that the doctor was giving us wound care instructions.
Since he was already hysterical, we decided to go ahead and have the nurse administer the suppository. I nursed him to calm him down, and at 2:00 pm, he finally pooped. I don't know that I've even been so excited to hear him blow up a diaper while I've been holding him....
He was in much better spirits after having a full tummy and a clean colon, so he started cooing and smiling a little during the late afternoon. Just as quickly as his black eye set in, it started to disappear. By 4:00 pm, his eye was almost completely open and the bruising was fading fast. He started swelling a little more in his cheeks, and his head started swelling as well since the bandage was no longer keeping pressure on it.
The neurosurgeon was so pleased with how the incision looked, his stellar blood work, and the fact that he was eating and pooping while only using oral pain meds that he cleared us to leave whenever we felt comfortable!!! I was so excited!!! The pediatrician on the floor came in at 6:00 pm to do a final exam and make sure we were ok to leave. By 6:45 pm, we had our discharge papers, prescription, and Gavin loaded in his car seat - we practically ran out of there before they could change their minds!
I am amazed at how much his head shape has changed already. The surgeon told us the swelling would obscure and soften the shape for a while, but I can already see such a difference - it's round! The surgeon has discussed the possibility of Gavin getting a helmet in a few weeks. They completely reshaped the skull during surgery, but there are parts that may not conform as well as others. This, plus the increased chance for plagiocephaly (head flattening due to positioning - like the babies with a flat spot on the back of their head) has made the surgeon consider the possibility. We will have a 2 week follow-up appointment and find out more then.
Overall, Gavin is doing great! We are using Tylenol to keep him comfortable, and it seems to do a pretty good job. He is still pretty tender and sore and fusses almost any time he is moved. I can't complain though, since it is amazing that he is home with us, only 60 hours after getting checked in for cranial surgery!!! He slept for a few sizable chunks during the night since no one was waking him up to check his vitals and woke up acting more like himself than ever!
We are so amazed at the marvels that modern medicine can accomplish and how quickly Gavin is healing. We have had the ideal surgery and recovery (so far), surpassing even the surgeon's expectations! I don't know what we did to deserve so many blessings, but I am so thankful for the never-ending outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and even strangers. We couldn't have done it alone!
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