Day of the Implant!

This is the day we were waiting for! Isaac woke up at 6:00 AM and got dressed. Then mommy and daddy let the dogs out one last time before we left for Gramps and Granny's house. We got in the Explorer and drove to meet Gramps, Granny and Aunt Lydia so we could begin the drive to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. When we got to their house, Granny gave Isaac a freeze pop since he was only allowed to have that or apple juice before surgery. Then we began the drive. It took about 3 hours to get to Philadelphia with the traffic. We checked in at 10:00 AM and Isaac played with the cool toys in the waiting room until the nurse called his name.

We took Isaac to a room where they could update his medical record and we got him dressed in the surgery gown. Granny showed Isaac his special book while we were waiting. That seemed to keep him busy. Then daddy, mommy and Isaac went into the pre-operating room where the nurse gave Isaac some giggle juice. This is a special medicine that is supposed to relax Isaac and make him happy. At first we didn't think it was working, but all of a sudden Isaac couldn't move very much. He was really happy and acted like he was drunk. Dr. Kazahaya asked if we had any questions. We gave our last kisses and Isaac was off to the operating room.

The procedure began at about 11:39 AM and was over by 1:45 PM. It was much quicker than we all expected. Gramps, Granny, Aunt Lydia, Daddy and Mommy all ate lunch at the hospital cafeteria and waited. It seemed like everyone took their turns sleeping. The nurse updated us a few times and finally Kevin Franck the Director of Audiology came in and told us the great news! They tested all the electrodes on the implant before they closed the incision and they got a great response. We were all so relieved because we knew then that Isaac's hearing nerve was fine and that the cochlear implant would work. We made our choice on the external parts of the implant and the Cochlear Corporation gave us a cute stuffed koala bear with a bandage on his head for Isaac.

Mommy was the first one to see Isaac after surgery. His cheeks were flushed and he was sleeping. He had a bandage on his head and was connected to an IV, and a heart moniter. Mommy sat with Isaac for a while rocking him until he he was well enough to go to the recovery room. There everyone took their turns holding him while he slept and woke up. Granny handed him the koala bear and he held it as he slept on Gramps. We could tell he was not happy after the surgery because every time he woke up he cried until he fell back asleep. It seemed like he knew that something happened to his head.

We got him dressed, gave him his pacifier and headed home. At home all Isaac wanted to do was sleep on Mommy's lap. He didn't want to be put down....which everyone knows is not normal for Isaac. Daddy went to the drugstore to pick up the pain medicine and antibiotics for Isaac. We then got Isaac dressed for bed and laid him in his crib.