Surgery & Hospital Visits: A Reminder of Taking Health for Granted

Poor brave SuperBoy. He has had quite a lot of brushes with the medical world lately, and this week he finally got hit by it. After a chance of Lyme’s Disease with a tick bite, an ER visit with severe breathing problems–wheezing & coughing, a follow up with his allergist and multiple tests for other allergies beyond his peanut & egg, then it came: hernia! or possible hydrocele. All within the month. Thankfully nothing has proven fatal, and nothing too serious, thankfully.

The biggest deal was the hernia. He just underwent out-patient surgery to repair it. Initially the pediatric urologist thought it was a hydrocele, but upon opening him up, it turned out to be a larger hernia than expected. A wee longer surgery than expected, but he came out just fine. He slept in my lap for a long time on the hospital bed in the recovery room, then had his pain meds, drank a little, ate a little, and bounced back with enough inertia to read the new Tintin book his BFFs gave him, The Blue Lotus.

Although we have all the joined books and a few of the individuals, this one has never surfaced. Tintin. The French journalist boy with his little dog Snowy. We grew up reading it, and SuperBoy loves it now too, as do his best girlfriends. Whisky? Smoking? Opium? Guns? Yes. Tintin has it all–except inappropriate romance, thankfully.

Watching your son go into surgery, and come out with an incision on his belly, is scary for any parent. Even with my dad as a doctor, which gives me some additional comfort with the idea of surgery, I felt queasy and helpless. AA went back with him (upon Super’s request–I’m not the parental fav) to the Operating Room to be with him while he got the anesthesia. I stood in the door way of the recovery room we’d been placed in. I watched, my face pinched in anxiety, as AA carried him, flanked by nursing staff. His little fingers clinging to Dada’s neck. His fat feet swaying around Dad’s waist. I felt outside myself, outside my child, a preview of life with children beyond toddlerhood. Children and young adults with their own boo-boos, woes, needs, desires, individuated from their Mama.

Multiple visits to the doctor over a month’s time, none of which were for a grave or serious medical condition, made me marvel at our healthcare providers. And be so so so so SO grateful that his health is in good shape, despite the need for a reparative surgery. Thank you for your love and support, gentle readers. I felt your prayers near and far. SuperBoy sends his undying gratitude and probably a desire for you, too, to have a good Tintin to read. Do yourself a favor and get one today.