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026, originally uploaded by megan bauer.

Post - op tonsils, adenoids, tubes, and epigastric hernia requires 2 weeks home following surgery. The poor baby had a really rough time when we got home. 12 hours after we got home - he started vomiting (during the middle of the night) and continued to vomit for a total of 11 times. Because he was already not eating and drinking well, his ENT doc wanted to readmit him for more IV fluids and to rule out the possibility of him having an ileus. He even said we could skip the ER, and he could be directly admitted to the chidlren's floor of the hospital. But by that point, he has stopped throwing up, so I talked him into letting us wait. We talked to the ENT a whole lot those next few days. He gave me his cell phone, and called me no less than a couple of times a day. He's operated on all of my children, and knows me and my family well. He very much knows that I often wait too long to bring my kids in when they are sick, so he was really worried (remember when Owen had that neck infection and I took him to the ER and it was busy, so we left? 6 hours later that same ENT called an ambulance from his office for Owen and admitted him to the hospital for 3 days of IV antibiotics after his airway almost closed). And when Henry started bleeding the next day (the day after vomiting) and was drinking and eating very little again, he threatened to personally come and pick him up and bring him back to the hospital :). I talked him into giving me ONE MORE DAY. I promised that if he vomited one more time, or if he started bleeding again, or if he wouldn't eat or drink, I would bring him back. And, guess what? 3 days after we got home from the hospital - one week after his surgery, he turned things around. He started eating and drinking - though not much. But, enough. It took a full 10 days before he stopped complaining about his mouth hurting, though. It was 10 full days before he stopped waking up in the middle of the night crying that his mouth hurt.

It was a really, really long 2 weeks. To occupy our time, we opened up a big box and poured flour all over it for him to drive his cars through. Entertainment at any cost....