Ugh! Son having surgery tomorrow . . .

[top_kat]

my 13 year old has suffered for years with various leg pain issues, he was diagnosed as having Osgood Schlatters disease about 5 years ago, but the leg pain has increased so he now has severs disease too. His physio referred him to a surgeon and he also diagnosed him with Patellar tendonitis and achilles tendonitis too and also bilateral calf constrictures.

So, because of the amount of sport that he plays and because he plays football at a high level, they have referred him for surgery which he is due to have tomorrow.

He is of course feeling nervous, but I have a real fear of anaesthetic - it took me 7+ years to actually book and have my band surgery because of my own personal fears. And it has hit me in the past 24+ hours that my son, my absolute WHOLE life is going under tomorrow.

He is worried and I am trying my best to keep positive and lighthearted, but its so incredibly hard when I have such a fear of it myself, I don't let him see my being worried about him, but even without that fear I would be anyway, as any parent would.

He is having surgery on both legs, to deal with the bilateral calf constrictures which they hope in turn will lengthen the tendons in his legs to help ease the other issues that he is having, especially that he is now starting to have back and hip pain too. If anyone has had or knows anyone that has had this type of surgery, I'd be interested to know how it has gone and if it has helped . . .we know there is no guarantee that it will help, or that it will do anything, and I just hope that it does, seeing him in daily pain is awful.

But, ugh! I wish I didn't have this fear of anaesthetic - I was the same before my surgery with that fear that I wouldn't make it through, having that same feeling about my son is a million times worse

 

[slaz]

Hi Kat, I have no experience of the specific surgery your son is having but
like you I have a fear of general anaesthetics. Last year I had major surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles which had been left too long so was a complicated procedure involving redirecting other tendons and folding down my calf muscle but I was able to have this done with a spinal block which avoided the risks of a general. I'm also having hip replacement done with a block.Unfortunately this wasn't possible for my bariatric surgery.
Your son is young and fit so a general does not carry much risk for him but I would have thought the surgery team would be happy to talk to you about a spinal block which can also be used together with sedation if your son would rather not be awake throughout the procedure.

 

[audrasharon]

Sorry to hear about your son. Its always easier if its ourselves and not our children. Good luck to him.

 

[top_kat]

Thank you both

Slaz - my son doesn't want to be awake. Unfortunately he has a fear of needles after a really bad hospital experience when he was 4! So its going to be interesting even with that. I'm hoping to have a quiet word with the nursing staff on arrival to make sure they use the emla cream ahead of using needles to help with that.

Thankfully we are able to stay with them, so I've put the dogs into the home boarder so I can stay with him all the time he is in there

But Audra, you're right - always so much harder when its our kids.

 

[audrasharon]

That's great you'll be with him throughout doesn't matter what age they are mum can always make it better! That's our job. So you'll be making it better for him anyway. Thinking of you x

 

[Mazza]

Hope everything goes well for him TK. I'm sure he will be in safe hands, easy to say I know but try not to worry too much xx

 

[carrieb]

Feel for you TK, and wish it was over so you could stop worrying. As others have said, a fit young boy should sail through the anaesthetic. Hope the surgery works - best of luck to you both

 

[NT1977]

Really hope it all goes well for him TK, it's so hard watching your kids go through anything like this. Will be thinking of you both x

 

[WeightlossDreamer]

Sorry to hear about your son TK. Good luck for tomorrow x x

 

[los in it]

I wish the very best for you and your son.

 

[Yvessa]

So sorry to hear this hon - I would be in bits too. And I know you want to be strong for him, but he's your baby. Will be thinking of you tomorrow, but as others have said, he is young and fit. Of course there's a risk, but its miniscule. And if you and I survived despite our huge risk, he should pull through without any issues.

 

[Corgi7]

Best of luck for you both tomorrow. You will be in all our thoughts

 

[flutterby1966]

:gen126: try not to worry tk xxx

 

[Mini]

Sending best wishes for tomorrow:vibes::vibes::vibes:

 

[top_kat]

thank you everyone - really nervous time. We went out for dinner as a treat but I know he is feeling it too. House is so quiet without the dogs as they've gone to the home boarders so that doesn't help..

Thank you for the wishes everyone

 

[sarahrob]

I hope it all goes well tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you both x

 

[moomoo1]

hope all is going well and wishing him a speedy recovery xx

 

[oztega]

Sending you love and good wishes TK. Hope it goes to plan and you are all back home soon & heres wishing your son a speedy recovery xx

 

[carrieb]

Just popping in to say hi, and hope all went well x

 

[Crystalrainbow]

just to say hope all went well with your son wishing him speedy recovery x x x