Ewan's Surgery

Ewan's first illness was not a reaction to his vaccines nor a virus he picked up at the pediatrician's...it ended up being pyloric stenosis. Wednesday Ewan was still vomiting so I took him to the pediatrician. They tried to stimulate his bowels, no luck getting a BM out of him. After looking him over the doc suggested it might be pyloric stenosis. I quickly learned that this means the muscle between the stomach and intestines is too big, as a result it won't open. Therefore all the food goes to the stomach and then comes back up since it has nowhere to go.

Thursday we had an appointment for an upper GI test at the hospital. I woke Ewan at 4:30 that morning to feed him one more time since he would not be allowed to eat after 6AM. He vomitted up that meal as well. I had a meltdown and cried...it was so difficult to see him look confused and hurting when he would vomit, yet still remain hungry. I washed his hair a little since it got dirty with vomit and Josh decided he would go with me to the doctor.

Oma arrived to take care of Jack and Josh, Ewan and I were off to the hospital. The upper GI test was relatively painless. Ewan drank a bottle of barium and then had x-rays taken to see how he digested the barium. The x-rays showed it stayed in his stomach, a VERY SMALL amount went to the intestines. So we were off for an ultrasound to confirm it...and it did.

So before you know it they were saying we needed surgery and it would be right now! At the ped's office they said usually they would try to medicate it first so I was a little shocked to be going straight to surgery.

After much waiting in the children's hospital admissions floor we got a room. The place was booked!! so we ended up getting a room on the cancer floor. The nurses there don't see many babies so they were glad to see us.

Ewan had his blood checked...not an easy task since they couldn't find a vein because he was dehydrated. Then he got an IV....in his head. It was very difficult to listen to his screaming while he got poked so many times trying to find veins in his little body but I managed to survive it all somehow.

It took some time but by 7 that night he was in surgery. Oma and Opa brought Jack to meet us in the waiting room. The surgery lasted about an hour. Ewan had a breathing tube during the surgery (luckily I never had to see this)! Josh and I went to see him in recovery, he needed to stay there for an hour. Josh took Jack back to Ewan's room and I held Ewan in recovery. His little oxygen mask was there (though he was no longer using it). Once his hour was up they wheeled us back to his room (I was sitting in a recliner holding him...they wheeled us in the recliner).

Jack checked out his IV tube and after a while the big boys headed home. I spent the night with Ewan in the hospital. His first meal was at midnight and he had a strict schedule. If he vomitted he would have to repeat a step. He did well and by morning I went to the kitchen to get some oatmeal. When I returned he had vomitted! So we had to repeat that meal.

He did relatively well during the day but his appetite was low. Oma and Jack came for a visit and Josh came for lunch. As he was beginning his final meal of the schedule he vomitted. Well because it was late in the day they decided we would have to spend the night again. BUMMER!

Josh and Jack came for dinner and after sometime in the playroom across the hall Jack and I headed home. It was Daddy's turn to spend the night with Ewan.

I called Josh the next morning and Ewan did well, one vomit during the night but held down his last 2 full meals. Jack and I picked up bagels and went to the hospital. After finally seeing the doctor they kicked up out!! YIPEE!!!

I have never been so excited to go home in my life! Ewan is now recovering at home and doing very well. This was an experience we never wish to repeat. I will say, though, that we had a few positive things come of this. We learned how fabulous the staff is at the new children's hospital in Columbia! And I got to spend some special bonding time with my little boy. I haven't had a chance to just hold him like that for so long since I also have Jack at home! Both boys enjoyed flirting with all the nurses!!!

Thanks to everyone who sent their love and prayers.