Post-operative care for your child (and my tips to keep you sane)

Hi there fellow earthlings!!  As many of you might know, my little boy recently underwent surgery on both his feet, one toe on the left foot as well as his left hip.  Here I will share with you how I have been caring for my son, along with some professional advice (sources listed below), and some tips for staying sane and coping with all the madness that goes along with it.

We cover his casts with socks before putting on the cast protecting shoes

CARING

• When your child comes out of theater, he/she should already be awake, but groggy.  If they are tired, let them sleep and wait until they wake up on their own.  Then give them something easy to eat and swallow and won't cause any stomach issues, such as jelly.  They might require more sleep later the day in order to sleep off all the anesthesia. 

• Your child needs lots of fluids - give them something that won't cause stomach issues.  Avoid fizzy/soda drinks as much as possible.

• Keep your child from doing any strenuous or balancing activities for the rest of the day.  Avoid things like riding a bike, playing sports, swimming or jumping on a trampoline.  Have your child do quite activities such as watching TV, listening to music or reading a book. Your child can typically resume his/her normal activities the next day, unless your child's doctor stated otherwise.

• Strictly follow your child's doctor's post-op care orders and do not be afraid to call his/her offices if you are uncertain about ANYTHING!

• Give your child his/her pain medicine promptly: treating the pain will help them heal faster.

• Your child may very likely be experiencing some nausea and vomiting.  Speak to your doctor or the ward sister/nurse about getting an over-the-counter medicine from your nearest pharmacy.  As your child's doctor will most likely prescribe your child pain medication, they will typically not mind adding something for nausea or vomiting as well.  If your child's vomiting persists for longer than 6 hours after discharge, consult your child's doctor or nearest emergency room.

• Try to keep the wound dry for at least 48 hours and do your best to prevent your child from scratching or pulling on the dressing.

• There will likely be white strips over the incision, called Steristrips, which you should leave until it falls off on its own.  If the wound is not properly closed yet, you might need to buy some from you nearest pharmacy and cover the incision again.  Speak to your child's doctor if the Steristrip came lose and you think you might need to apply again.

• You might notice a firm lump, called a healing ridge, on your child's incision about 4 weeks after the operation.  This is normal and will soften and disappear in the next few months.

I wrapped his toys' feet to imitate his

TIPS

• The best advice I can give you comes from my dear mother: do what you need to to survive your current situation and deal with any other issues later.  This might seem unhealthy or irrational to some people, but if you have a child who is very uncomfortable and doesn't understand what is happening, forcing them into being alone or dealing with something they do not and cannot yet understand, for example, will simply worsen the situation and very likely hurt your child psychologically and emotionally. 

• Here are some things that we did in this regard: We gave him a dummy again (which he 6 days post-op threw away himself), we made a bed for him next to ours in our room and we made sure that we have a lot of comforts around (teddy's, blankets, his favourite books and car (at all times), LOTS of yogurt and LOTS of Barney episodes).  We also made a little set-up with a small bucket with water and a small boat and duck toy that we put in between his legs, which are covered by two towels, for bath time.  This way he still gets the feeling of bathing and playing without actually being in the bath.  I dare say he might actually enjoy this more than being in the bath itself.

• The second advice that certainly worked very well for us was from my husband: don't make too big a fuss over it.  Children are amazing human beings, they adapt very quickly and can handle more than we often think.  Our son surprised us by walking out of the hospital 6 hours after his surgery, casts and all, whereas we expected him to need to be carried everywhere and be extremely upset about these strange things on his feet.  He actually thinks it is something cool that sets him apart from others :)

• If your baby or toddler is having an operation, consider taking a favorite soft toy with and imitate what your child will look like after the surgery, e.g. a plaster where your child's incision will be. I wrapped our boy's favorite soft toys' legs with bandages to imitate the casts that he will be getting.  This made the adaption process afterwards better.  He associated his "eina" with that of his toys' and realised that they are okay, so he will be too.

• The World Health Organisation suggest giving your child some paracetamol prior to the operation, just be mindful of your child's cut-off limit for food and fluid intake.

• Try to remember that this is going to be a frustrating time for your child since there are a few things that they cannot do 'normally' for a while.  When your child is overly frustrated (especially when they are young and cannot tell you what is wrong yet) try to distract them.  Things such as TV shows, games on your phone (whilst you hold it of course) and toys with sounds and animations work very well.  Taking your child to a play area, such as a park, or an unknown place with a play area, such as a restaurant, also works well.

Our current sleeping arrangement which helps me help him at night

I wish you good luck for your child's operation and recovery and hope that these tips and information will help you during this time of life.

Bye bye :)

Michelle Smillie

Let life be, let love in

External sources consulted:

UCSF Department of Surgery

aboutkidshealth

World Health Organisation

Medscape