Laser in 2 days!

[DaniMac0130]

I'm so anxious... DD's laser treatment is in 2 days and I'm just.... EEEEP! about it. She'll be going under general anesthesia and that makes me very nervous. We won't know what time her procedure is until tomorrow afternoon.

I know she won't be able to eat after a certain time, most likely midnight, does anyone have any advice on how to calm her when she's hungry and can't eat? Thankfully, she usually sleeps from midnight until 7am, but watch... THIS will be the night she wakes up hungry at 2... because Murphy's Law is just so precise like that.

Please and thank you!

Also, what were your experience with laser? I have NO IDEA what to expect...

[smurph]

I'm not sure how old your daughter is?? My daughter had surgery 2 years ago (with general anesthesia) and then laser surgery last year (with general anesthesia). I found the laser surgery was a piece of cake compared to the regular surgery. They didn't put her to sleep as deeply when they did the laser and they only used a short tube instead of fully intubating her so it made the recovery quick. The whole thing was done really fast. Maybe you could ask about the anesthesia tomorrow and it might put your mind more at ease. My daughter was not really in much pain afterwards either. She was self-conscious about the bruising, but it sounds like your daughter is much younger than mine (mine is 6.)
As for the sleeping/no eating thing. My maiden name is Murphy so I totally get the whole Murphy's Law thing!! My daughter could drink clear liquids until a couple of hours before the surgery so that might be a possibility for her. I would just prepare in your mind that you might be up during the night doing some extra rocking or soothing and then if she sleeps, it will be a treat!

A nurse should call you tomorrow so write down all your questions so you can ask them...they will go over all that stuff with you. Looking back on it, I found the laser to be pretty easy. (although at the time I was a wreck!!!!) Here's my daughter's photo album. You can look ahead to the end with the laser pictures. The bruising took longer to go away than I expected...like about 2 weeks.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...l=a 18fd285c7
Good luck! Keep us posted!

Shannon

[nickbar]

Shannon gave you great advice, so I just want to encourage you to come back and give us updates

[DaniMac0130]

Yes, my DD (Piper) is only 7 months old. Thank you so much for sharing your photos! Your daughter is beautiful and the laser seemed to REALLY do great things for her! Piper's is VERY raised, which is why we're treating it. She knocks it on things daily and even with the slightest of hits, she cries. She can tap it on something and cry her eyes out, but when she taps another part of her head the same way, she's fine. I know her pediatrician said that hemans don't hurt, but I'd imagine that the skin would be a little more tender at the very least... but she can't tell me that, you know? Did your daughter ever say if hers hurt at all?

Thank you for the support! I'm just really, really hoping it all goes well!

[smurph]

Our pediatrician used to say all the time that it didn't hurt and our daughter was crying and crying all day long (partly colic I think) but she would bump her lip and just scream like crazy. I even told her doctor it seemed like she had a sore on her lip (this is before I knew about ulcerations) and he just kept saying to put vaseline on it and that it didn't hurt. Soon after she stopped being able to nurse so we went to Boston...we found out that the sore was an extremely painful ulceration!! I almost died!!!! They put Xylocane on it (a numbing cream) and she instantly stopped crying. This was a child who had cried for 2 months straight! That set me on my mission to find out as much as I possibly could about these hemangiomas so I would know for myself what I was dealing with. We got a new pediatrician too.

My other daughter had a pretty big hemangioma on her hand, but it didn't seem to bother her at all, so every hemangioma is different I guess. I'll send you her album too if you'd like to see. She had no treatment and it went away on it's own.

Good luck with the laser! Let me know how it goes!

Shannon

[smurph]

oops...here's my other daughter's album:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...l=1 b4cbdd436

Shannon

[DaniMac0130]

Well, it went REALLY well!

I was totally surprised that Piper didn't seem to do so badly about not being able to nurse. She was a little cranky, but mostly tired. She fell asleep in my arms right before they took her back to put her under.

She was a little groggy when she first came into her post-op room, but as soon as the nurse started trying to get some vitals, she got PISSED. I put her on the boob and she calmed right down and drifted back to sleep. She's been SO happy and her typical self ever since! I was prepared for a clingy, cranky baby.

The surgeon did a triple treatment! He said before hand that there wouldn't be any swelling, but there was. I'm sure that's because he decided to do the triple pass once he got into the OR.

The most bruising seems to be on the tiny hemans that are around the big one. They're almost attached, but not quite. Anyhow, those look like they're already almost totally gone. I can't wait to see how everything heals and settles!

He told me today that she won't need more than 2 more treatments and that they'll be 6 weeks apart. I took a before picture last night and took an after as soon as we got home. I'm already seeing some differences compared to when she came out of the OR. I see some more bruising on the big heman.

Thank you again for the support! And Smurph, it really is shocking how a doctor can say that it doesn't hurt. They don't know! Do THEY have their skin stretched tight over a tumor of blood vessels?! NO! So how can they say it doesn't hurt?!

[DaniMac0130]

Oh and your daughter is BEAUTIFUL!

[smurph]

Thank you! I was anxious to hear how it went for you today and it sounds like everything went great! You must be so relieved to have it behind you and now you'll know what to expect for next time. Keep in touch (on here or on Facebook) if you want. Sleep well tonight!

shannon

[missy]

YAY!!

I am so pleased for you and your daughter. What a wonderful outcome. You sound like you feel much better, too!

Keep us updated when she has more treatments ... we're anxious to hear!

Missy