Kintropy In Action

Last week, I took Hannah to a post op appointment with her ENT(Ear,Nose,Throat) surgeon. I knew we would have some surgery news, but the news he suggested was unexpected. She still has a millimetre size hole in her neck. Hannah won't let it close. I was expecting that the doctor was going to decide to put another stitch in. Nope: it went like this.

The doctor examined her stoma (the hole in her neck). He sighed, straightened in the chair, and backed up toward the sink, resting his right arm on the counter. He looked at the ceiling then stared at her.

Gabriel was demonstrating to the doctor how he could make Hannah laugh. Hannah was laughing at him.

The doctor said "Hannah," [dramatic pause], "what are we going to do with you?"

I laughed. "She always does this to you guys." I'm sure I could see the gears in his head spinning like a person grasping for the solution to a puzzle.

He came to a decision in his head and said, "I'm going to have to go in, cut the whole thing out, and sew it straight."

I interpreted is this as: he is going to cut all the scar tissue out, making a slit in her neck, and then suture those edges together. It is a good idea. Surprising, but a good idea nevertheless. I had a staring off look because I'm a visual thinker. "Ok" I said then my practical side commented "Is that an out patient procedure or will she need to stay in the hospital?"

I'm not sure which he was responding too but he explained further. "Just a stitch won't work because it is healed all the way back."

I visualised this again. The stoma has surface skin all the way around and through to the trachea.

He continued as I adjusted Hannah who was slipping off the examining chair. "It will be a day surgery? Do you have any vacation plans?"

So Hannah is going to have surgery again and all I think about is where are they going to put the IV. Since Hannah has had several surgeries when she was small and she has my fast clotting blood, it is very hard to get an IV in her that works.

It has to be done but it still sucks she has to go through that again.

--Mom