Andrew is snuggled up to his dad on his hospital bed, watching The Incredibles on a portable DVD player after his umbilical hernia surgery. I’ve come to discover that a movie can have the power of a tranquilizer for a five-year-old.
Andrew got pretty agitated as he woke from surgery. He really wanted the IV out, the incision bandage removed, and to leave the hospital NOW. But he couldn’t talk very clearly, so it was all just a lot of thrashing and unhappiness. … Until his smart nurse suggested a movie. That and his daddy’s strong arms and stabilizing presence calmed the boy down. When we left the recovery area, Bryan got to ride on the bed, all snuggled up with our little boy.
I’ve got to say, I am so impressed with how lovely this hospital is and how wonderfully they have their systems down. They are really set up to make things run smoothly for kids and their families.
After Andrew had stabilized a bit in recovery, we came back to our room, where Andrew and Bryan have continued to snuggle and watch their show. Andrew had his IV taken out a few minutes ago, and I think it’s fair to say that that wasn’t a good experience. Due perhaps to the extreme agitation he experienced during the IV removal, our boy threw up a few minutes ago. But I don’t think he stopped watching the show.
We should be heading home before to long, armed with some Tylenol with codeine. Our little guy is pretty subdued, so I think we’ll have a quiet afternoon.
