Thumbs up, Kourtney!!.

So, the operation is now over. Kourtney now has two thumbs and a straighter wrist than before. She is sore from where the skin grafts were taken but managed to go to school today with the help of her pain medication. Everything went smoothly. I tried not to micromanage the situation too much, but I did manage to write some questions down for the anaesthetist in an emesis basin (puke bucket). The anaesthetist who knows Kourtney well told me she was going to keep things as simple as possible, and asked if she could take the doodled basin into the OR with her. She then made sure Kourtney was set up properly in the OR before I left. I helped with the IV, ECG leads, O2 sat monitor, and the list goes on. Not one stone was left unturned. It is amazing how people don't get that when we say, "no tape or adhesives on the skin" . . . that is what we mean.

I left the operating room as soon as Kourtney was put under. I walked into a waiting room filled with anxious parents and knew I had to leave. My mom was with me so we went for a walk to Safeway and had lunch. We left for about an hour and returned to the waiting room. I had a book there but I was intrigued by the conversations in the waiting area. It must have been "dentist and ear tube day". I heard the surgeon tell several parents about what he did and how to take care of the tubes in their ears. I watched as the dentist was trying to tell a trophy wife and her husband that their daughters teeth all had to be capped and she would have stains on her teeth. The mom was so upset and defended her oral hygiene regime. The dentist was very clear that this was not her fault but this mom could not get past the fact that her little Jacklyn would have stained teeth. As she was talking to the dentist she was holding her infant son and pulled her low cut V neck over and started breastfeeding him. Awkward!!

As I was watching people come and go, I couldn't help but realize how my life has been a variance from most of these parents. Tubes in ears, rotten teeth pulled . . . pretty routine stuff. My daughter is getting her thumbs released. I had sat in that very waiting room 10 times and not once had it been routine. As I watched people leave, I sat there and started getting restless at the 2 hour mark. I began to get annoyed with the trophy wife's husband who decided to share his cutting edge knowledge about folates. I wanted to yell at him and tell him to embrace what he has and don't worry about folates (not even sure what folates are) . . . enjoy today, your health and your trophy wife. As the time waned on the waiting room cleared out, the garbage was emptied and the laundry taken away. After 3.5 hours I heard the words I wanted to hear, "Kourtney Kujawa's mom, can you come to recovery?" Never so happy to go see her.

I walked in to a very happy, smiling Kourtney, the medication had decreased her inhibitions and her pain. She greeted everyone with a big smile and even winked at Dr. Courtemanche when he walked in. She was happy as can be and grinning from ear to ear. It was a relief to see her pain free and happy. Dr. Courtemanche explained what he did but did not give the staff any post op advice; he just wrote "dressings as per mom". We felt respected by the medical community that day; Kourtney and I were listened to and I was thankful that it went so smoothly.

Thanks to all for the well wishes, prayers and flowers. Much appreciated.

Till next blog post!! Janelle

What I learned from Grade 7 camp

On Friday, Kourtney and I returned from a 3 day camp with her grade 7 class.

I learned that rubber boots with shorts is cool, so are braids held with bobby pins, that black eyeliner is a must have (if you are allowed to put on that stuff) aeropostale, american eagle and hollister were the brand names that appeared the most, and that orthodontists must be making a lot of money these days.

I didn't have to be watching skits to see drama unfold; drama was in the cabins, on the mountain, in the dining hall, drama, drama, drama. I came to the conclusion that apples don't fall from the tree (kids are a replica of their parents), bullies are really not rotten, they're just hurting. I saw the transformation of sweet girls into hard, angry girls over life's circumstances. I saw that a grade 7's can be kind and mean all in the same sentence. What I saw was children caught up in a surge of hormones and their minds not able to deal with their changing bodies.

I saw my Kourtney be part of the quirky age group of children. I loved hearing her giggle way past light outs (to the point that our cabin kept others up), I saw her dancing with her friends and noted last year she didn't even walk, I saw her do what she does best . . . interact with people and get involved in the drama. My Kourtney was at camp - need I say more?

Although the camp ended with a bump in the road, I won't get into it to preserve the integrity of everyone involved. I have to say that Grade 7 camp was a success for Kourtney and I.

I have to give a honourable mention to Tammy as I realize how she has been able to socialize Kourtney with a variety of friends. She is amazing and I can honestly say that I don't ever worry about Kourtney at school because Tammy is around. Thanks for being there for her!