post, pre-op

What started with many fears and more than a few tears, quickly turned into a helpful time of getting Indy ready for tomorrow.. .

The needle that Indiana was so dreading, ended up in the end, never coming. Or when it did, she never even realized it.

Which is even better.

We weren’t there at the hospital ten minutes yesterday, when the tears started falling.

The nurse had put some numbing cream on the inside of both of Indy’s arms, telling her that it would help not to feel the ‘poke’ of the needle they were going to be using to draw the blood they needed.

I know this face well, because it looks a lot like mine in the rare times that I find myself ugly crying. Quickly, mama came to the rescue and helped to calm Indiana’s fears.

Within minutes, one of the hospital’s sweet child life specialists named Lia joined us in the room and headed the rest of Indy’s tears and fears off at the pass. A few moments later, she was explaining what Indiana was about to go through, using pictures of a puppy going through each step.

And showing Indy what the morning of her surgery was going to look like. The spot in the hallways where she would tell Mama and Papa goodbye, and what the operating room she would be in was going to look like.

Then Lia gave Indiana her own oxygen mask to decorate with stickers and choose whatever scent she wanted, when it came time for anesthesia.

Indy chose bubblegum.

I think the highlight was when she pulled out a baby doll and showed her how the mask was going to be on her face by showing her how it went on the doll’s.

In no time, the fear was forgotten and we were on our way to get through all the many different tests they needed to run.

They did another echocardiogram.

And took X-rays.

By the time they took us into the room to draw blood… Lia and Rebecca had Indy so engrossed in reading a book to them, that she didn’t even notice that on the other side of the page, a nurse was taking 5 vials of blood for the tests they needed to run.

In just a few hours the pre-op was all behind us and we were out the door, with Indy holding a new teddy bear they’d given her that she named ‘Hearty’, who has his own stitches in his chest, like the ones she’ll soon have.

It was a wonderful start to a much longer and harder journey that she, and we in many ways, are about to go on together.

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Today so far, we’ve had a relaxing day. There’s nothing we’ve had to do but get rested and ready for tomorrow morning. So we’ve spent pretty much the whole day doing fun things with Indy.

We found a neat bookstore that used to be an old post office that has a great kids book section.

And a playground by a lake with swings and slides.

With a fun truck parked next to it.

Rebecca already has all of Indiana’s bags packed and by the door, with her favorite books and music and her Skylight photo frame full of her favorite pictures, and dozens of other thoughtful touches and things to help make this next few days as comfortable for her as possible.

Rebe’s parents (that’s the name they’ve always called her) flew in from Florida to be with us, and I’m pretty sure we’re all gonna spend the evening the same way we did last night… here in the Airbnb, playing lots of Uno, matching game, and other family favorites.

Tomorrow and all it is going to bring will be here soon enough. For now, we’re thankful for joy and the love we’ve been blessed to share together today.