A very different trip #
Our son’s second surgery took place when he was about fourteen months old. Compared with our first trip to Texas, everything felt much more familiar. We already knew the surgical center, the HBOT center, and what recovery would look like. We knew what to pack, where to stay, and what questions to ask.
This time, we felt much calmer. Our son, however, had changed completely. He was no longer the baby who stayed where we placed him. He had become curious, active, and determined to explore everything around him. Preparing for this surgery meant thinking less about what we needed and much more about how to help an energetic toddler through recovery.
The day before #
The day before surgery, our son learned to walk independently. Like every parent, we were excited. Watching him take those first few steps felt like another milestone in his childhood.
The next morning, we checked into the surgical center for surgery. The contrast between those two days has stayed with me ever since.
Surgery day #
Because our son was older and much more aware of his surroundings, surgery day looked different this time. He had started developing stranger anxiety, so before surgery one of the nurses gave him a medicine through his nose that they jokingly called “silly juice.” Within a few minutes, he stopped crying. His little body relaxed, but somehow his hands became incredibly strong.
When the anesthesiologist carried him toward the operating room, he calmly held on with both hands. Watching him disappear through those doors was still difficult. Some things never became easier.
Learning from experience #
One thing we changed was our HBOT schedule. Our first experience with HBOT immediately after surgery had been incredibly difficult, so this time we completed several sessions before surgery. We hoped our son would become familiar with the chamber beforehand and, if everything went as planned, be able to skip HBOT on the day of surgery without losing the overall benefit of the treatment. As a result, when he was discharged after surgery, we were able to drive straight back to our Airbnb and let him rest.
He slept for more than an hour that afternoon with one little hand wrapped tightly around mine. Every now and then, I could feel his hand trembling slightly after the surgery.
Recovery looks different #
Recovery quickly reminded us that toddlers are very different from babies. The first diaper change brought another moment of panic when we noticed blood on one corner of the bandage. Fortunately, it stopped quickly and everything healed normally.
The bigger challenge was simply keeping him still. He wanted to walk. He wanted to climb. He wanted to explore. For almost ten nights, he woke up crying again and again. By the end of those nights, both my husband and I were completely exhausted.
We also spent a lot of time at HBOT. During those ninety-minute sessions, cartoons became one of our best tools. What had once felt frightening had slowly become part of our daily routine.
Whenever we weren’t at the center, we often put him in his stroller and took him outside to watch traffic. He loved cars. Sometimes he could happily watch passing cars for a very long time.
Those quiet moments gave all of us a chance to rest, and they also gave us some peace of mind knowing he wasn’t running around after surgery.
Bath time #
Bath time became one of the most challenging parts of recovery. Following our surgeon’s instructions, we began soaking him five days after surgery to help the bandage loosen naturally.
He refused to wear a swim diaper, but at the same time, he became upset whenever he saw the catheter or the large bandage. Eventually, we found a routine. An iPad played his favorite cartoons beside the bathtub. My husband gently held him so he wouldn’t suddenly stand up. I stretched a thin towel across the water so he couldn’t easily see the bandage underneath. At the same time, I kept one eye on his little hands to make sure he didn’t reach for the surgical site. Little by little, bath time became manageable.
Seeing the graft #
When the bandage finally came off, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. The surgical site looked completely different from the first surgery. I remember panicking the first time I saw it.
Even though I understood what the graft procedure involved, seeing it with my own eyes was much harder than I expected. Fortunately, our son was still young and he completely have no memory on it. He stayed in diapers, didn’t seem bothered by what he saw, and carried on playing as though nothing had happened.
Looking back, I sometimes think many of the hardest moments belonged to us as parents rather than to him.
Another step forward #
Compared with the first surgery, this recovery wasn’t easier. It was simply different. Every few months, our son was becoming more independent, more curious, and more aware of the world around him. We found ourselves adapting alongside him.
When I think back on those weeks now, I don’t remember every difficult night. I remember his first steps. I remember him watching cars from his stroller. I remember cartoons playing beside the bathtub. Most of all, I remember how quickly children move forward.
While we were carefully counting every day of recovery, he was busy growing up.
Take a deep breath. One day at a time.
