Surgery was a success!

Today Jaidyn had a Single Venous Access Device (SVAD) implanted in her chest.  This device will be the main way her blood is taken and chemo is given for the next two years. It will be removed once she is done treatment. The VAD  (what the kids call their "button") is completely under the skin. It's made up of a silicone rubber material and a catheter, which empties right into the superior vena cava (large blood vessel leading to the heart). 

This makes things SO MUCH EASIER. No more finger pokes, painful blood draws or IV’s for Jaidyn. When she is "accessed" meaning the needle is in it will look like a little butterfly taking a drink, then when chemo is done and it's time to go home the butterfly flies away. - If i lost any of you there, no I'm not going crazy from no sleep, this is the terminology we use and from now on everything will come and go through her “button”.

"accessed"

"de-accessed"

I wasn’t really sure how I felt about Jaidyn going in for surgery for the first time in her life. The last two procedures (Bone Marrow Biopsy and Lumbar Puncture) she was under conscious sedation. For this surgery she’ll be under general anesthetic. I got all dressed in my scrubs and funny hat and brought her into the operating room, sat her down on the operating table and held her while they started anesthetic. It is amazing how fast that medicine actually works. Within seconds she was out.  I laid her down and the nurse walked me out. I thought I’d cry, but I held it together, I knew she would do amazing.

Three hours later they called me and I was able to go down to recovery and see her. She looked so sweet lying there, still pretty groggy from the drugs. First thing she asked for was apple juice and cheese as usual; she evidently could have cared less if I was there.

For the remainder of the day we rested and watched Monsters INC. and cut paper, pretty much all Jaidyn really wants to do. I’m happy its over with and there wont be any more 2 am finger pricks.