Another Surgery

Again we find ourselves heading to the clinic for another "out patient proceedure" since Dakota broke his leg 18 months ago. And again we have to find someway to make this as easy and painless, not to mention without a meltdown, as possible.

This was supposed to have been done in July but was re-scheduled for many reasons . After over a year of physical therapy , many assessments, proceedures and evaluations; a tendon release was what the podiatrist ordered . This is another "hail Mary" if you will to get Dakota's "leg" back. For months now he has been telling me he wants to have the surgery cuz he wants his toes to be flat and in his own way has indicated on many occassions that the toe bugged him  BUT of course when the day came and we were actually walking into the clinic WELL the anxiety  started rearing its ugly head.

Being a Mom who had a few tricks under her belt, I came equipped to slay the "Big Behavior Dragon" with a sword that could cut down the mightiest of evil- - The portable DVD player! When Dakota was much smaller and not quite ready for the hair salon I used to prepare a place at home with a tall- stool chair, lots of old shower curtains and a TV strategicaly placed right in front of the chair loaded and ready to go with the video choice of the day-- some how the  movie and I managed to succeed to get the job done.  When these "proceedures"  came around and my son was becoming big enuf to no longer physically restrain or carry out I had to devise a new way to handle getting done what needed to get done!HENCE the portable DVD player equipped with a rechargeable battery pack, ear plugs if necessary and of course the most current or most preferred video in the house!

We checked in and went to the waiting area where I started the video giving him time to get involved with the story.  When it came time to go to the "spooky " nurse preping area and the O.R. he was already busy with the story-- vitals and bloodpressure taken , gowned up and we are off to the "room". Absolutely no hesitation entering the room and I continue to direct him to whats happening in his movie so he wont be distracted by whats actually going to happen. OOOpppssss theres a flinch when they put the "cold stuff" on him but once again I re-direct; the doctor administers the local and by the time hes saying "Mommy they are hurtung me" hes numb and about 10 more minutes and the doctor is done!

All I can say is that for us the Portable DVD player is a GODsend. You may have to find a "different carrot" for your child  a interactive book,a cd or radio ,an electronic toy of some kind or maybe a portable playstation but I know that someone should be able to benefit from this---and the payoff is walking out of the clinic having the work get done and your child with out a meltdown!

One last tip that seems to really make my plan work is when I know one of these damn things are coming up I pay particular attention to the dvds that are being released near the same date as the surgery and I make sure that he knows that new DVD will be in that player for that proceedure--- cant tell you how many times I have been bailed out by Harry Potter , Spiderman and Shrek!