Yesterday, the results of the Assutah Sleep Clinic arrived in the mail just in time for me to bring them back to the ENT surgeon. The summary of the data: Sleep Apnea? Hell, yes! (According the readout, Raphaela woke up 16 times in one hour because of the snoring and the limited breathing.)
After re-examining her tonsils, the ENT decided that Raphaela should have both her tonsils and her adenoids removed, and the sooner the better. Unfortunately, because the surgery will require that we stay over night in the hospital, he cannot perform the procedure himself, and gave me the names of other highly recommended surgeons in both Hadassah and Shaarei Zedek. I have decided to activate my private insurance, and try to get the head of the department for our case; as much as I appreciate the benefits of the Israeli Universal Health Care system, I will feel better if I can meet her doctor and know that he will be responsible. I am also going to ask him if he will allow me to be present in the operating theatre during the surgery, not only because of my medical background, but also because I am quite curious to see it being done. And I know on some level that Raphaela will know I am there, in the room with her, and it can only help.
Last night Raphaela came into my bed at some point, and while she lay beside me, I heard her laugh in her sleep. It reminded me of a passage in the book, The Little Prince, which describes the musical and magical quality of the laughter of a child. She awoke this morning and immediately asked me for kisses, and I could forgive the fact that it was five am.
5 comments:
Aw, that's so sweet.
Glad to hear that things are moving along for Raphaela to be able to sleep better. Everyone deserves a good night's sleep!
Don't be surprised or insulted if the doctor doesn't let you in the operating room. If I were a doctor I'd be very wary of parents who might distract me while I work, with their questions, comments, suddenly freaking out because someone is making their child bleed, etc. Your medical background would actually make me MORE wary that you'd either make a lot of suggestions during the surgery or that you'd freak out, no matter how much you insist beforehand that you won't! I'm not saying this as a judgement of you, rather that a doctor has no way of predicting your behavior, and his first priority must be his ability to focus on the surgery, not worry about a parent hanging around. On the other hand, maybe he WILL say yes, you never know.
I hope the surgery goes well and that Raphaela becomes even MORE delightful when she has more energy! Yay, sleep studies!
I wish they'd done this for me when I was that age. I recently had my tonsils out at age 41, and it freaking hurt! They say that children heal much quicker & easier without much pain.
The best pediatric ENT in Jerusalem (according to my BIL the pediatrician) is Dr. Jefferey Weinberger (Weinberg?) at Hadassah. He is also Canadian. He did my son's tubes. He is also really nice.
Good luck!
when my daughter had surgery, they let us stay with her until they put her under (she had such a cute smile) but would not let my husband who is a dr go into the operating room. I agree with Sarah-I highly doubt the dr would let you stay;your job will be to be a parent and parents are not allowed in the surgical area. I highly doubt you could be an objective observer when your daughter is being operated on and if you see any blood. If RR sees you when she falls asleep and knows you will be there when she wakes up that will make her feel easy.
How adorable!
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