We've hit the double digits in surgeries! 10 is one epic number, especially when you are only 2 years old!

So, I thought I'd do a little post the night before the big day, chronicling all of Em's surgeries up to this point. Now bear in mind, I may not have these exactly right, and she's actually been under anesthesia more than 10 times, but I figure the only ones that count is when she actually gets opened up for something, right? And this is a really long post, so really you don't have to read it! It is mostly just for our documentation, and hopefully one day, to be put in a book!

So, I'll do my best, but here it goes!

First surgery, why not kill 4 birds with one stone?!

G-tube placement, first palate prosthesis, first echo-cardiogram and first ABR

March 27, 2009 (about 3 months old)

First day in recovery

After 4 days finally smiling and happy again!

This was supposed to only be an overnight stay, but we ended up being there for 2 weeks! This nurse was on shift a lot with Em and got quite attached to her, his name, Jim, I think. 

Sadly 2 weeks after we left the hospital from this surgery, Em's prosthesis came lose way quicker than normal, so we went back to have it replaced (I'm pretty sure it just wasn't in right in the first place!)

Sadly she knew what was coming this time around, and didn't care for it one bit!

These next few pictures are of the work done on her feet, that was her most extensive thing, until now

This is Em in her hip brace, something the Dr wanted to try first for her hip displaysia. Didn't work obviously. But this was the day she didn't have to wear it anymore, because this is when he started casting her feet. So we are no strangers to casts, in fact Emarie had them for a greater period off and on for about 8 months. All leading up to her feet surgery.

Here's how she felt about her first set of casts:

Actually this face, and a wailing cry were her staple anytime Dr. Stotts entered the room. He really thought she hated him.
Hmmm, I wonder why........

First set of casts at about 5 months old (May 15, 2008)

We had cast changes pretty much on a weekly basis (always having to go to Primary of course). Funny thing about that, one time while waiting for Em in one of her cleft surgeries, I ran into Dr. Stotts, who jokingly asked me, "Aren't you guys like, always here?!" I told him matter of factly, "Actually, it's a lot better now that we're not coming up for weekly cast changes!"
Anyway, Dr. Stotts nicely let Em have a little break, so that she wouldn't have to have casts when we went to our first of the annual Chromosome 18 Conferences in July of 2008.

This was her position the first 2 days of being cast free in almost 3 months:

So, we did the series of casting, and on September 3rd 2008 is when she had her first surgery on her feet

Getting her casts off the morning of the surgery

Can't really see, but her poor little feet were SO blistered afterward, like BIG blisters!

Waiting to go back with daddy

The sweet angelic face I laid eyes on when I first went back to post-op. She didn't even cry, just stared at me!

Her 3 pound casts (no joke about that! they weighed her before and after surgery, and it was a 3 pound difference!), quite a big deal when you only weigh 10 pounds! And no, they're not 2 different colors, the left was just really swollen, so he had to leave it open, therefore had to wrap it in tape. It just so unfortunately turned out to be Lakers colors :P

One week later, she had to have those casts taken off under anesthesia, due to the pins (more like nails) sticking out of her feet!

I'm ready to get these things off! Little did she know, the next ones were not much better....though they did weigh less!

Now, I made the most of all of her feet casts, always drew fancy pictures, and had people sign them. I think I will be the same with this new cast (I hope anyway!)
Just look at what I did for Halloween (my favorite holiday, if you can't tell!)

Fun huh?! We saved most of the feet casts, by the way!

And here's when the casts came off
Warning, these next few are a little gross!

The so called "pins" more like nails though if you ask me! We saved these as well

Poor little foot :( Those casts for SO long reeked havoc on her eczema :(




Here was Emarie's first ear tube placement on November 4th, 2008

Mommy always had to have this girl dressed to the nines for any occasion, even a simple surgery!

It was a little tough to awake her from this one ;)


Next surgery was her soft palate repair on December 17th, 2008. Also, already had to get her second set of ear tubes at this time (the ones they have to use are so tiny, that they don't last very long)

In Christmas attire, but what else?!

Surgery waiting area with mommy

We always get a picture of her going back with the anesthesiologist, usually she's a good sport!

Post-Op looking like she just ate a really rare steak ;)


Ok, now this is where I am not finding all the pictures, I know she had surgeries in-between the previous and these next ones, but the pictures are probably somewhere that I just don't want to have to look right now (this was, I believe during the time I got a new laptop, so we were most likely uploading everything to the desktop). However, I will fix this post as I find and figure out more of them, since I am doing this to eventually save into a book.

Here's one that says it was from June 22, 2009. I'm sure it was either a prosthesis exchange, or ear-tube replacement (since those are the ones she has most often).

She is always the happiest child in the surgery waiting area! That's because she doesn't mind so much when her tummy is empty ;)

This surgery was supposed to be a big deal. It was supposed to be the prosthesis removal in preparation for her hard palate repair. However, once her Dr. Sadiqki took it out, he still was not pleased with how wide the gap was, so he decided to wait another year, and another prosthesis went in. I believe she has in her mouth at this moment the 5th one of these! 
This was on November 9th, 2009

First time they had their new pagers to call you up, Em loves to hold them when we go!

LOVE this picture! Loved the new "scrubs" she finally was somewhat big enough to wear!

Absolutely one of my favorite pictures we have ever gotten! This anesthesiologist has "wised" up to the fact that he should maybe wear a few items of "street wear", his assistant on the other hand, is not in on this rouse, and that, I believe, is why Em is giving her a very disdainful look!

This was post-op, almost had to stay overnight this time, because she was really having a tough time :( Couldn't keep her O2 levels up and pain was not under control :( :(

I think we had the biggest gap ever between the last and this next one! This one was an ear-tube replacement that took place on March 15th 2010. This was her last one before now, so another big gap. However we haven't been free of a stay between now and then, if you all remember the horrible Influenza stay that was the reason this surgery is happening now instead of back in the first week of June!

This was EARLY! But, still loves that pager!

And of course, the anesthesiologist picture!

In Post-Op, happy once I gave her her computer that the wonderful Howe family gave her for her birthday!



So, wow that's it! No more chapters to add to this, until tomorrow of course! My big brave girl will be having her 10th surgery, and it is a good number for the BIG surgery that it is!