The tonsils!

Sunday morning I got up and went to Emirates ID place. Millie's ID has her birthdate incorrect. Because this effects her school enrollment I needed to get it fixed before she comes back to school in August. I went to the building at 8:30, but it didn't open til 9. I went at 9 am and was told the typist wouldn't be there until 9:15. I was told they would be open until 4 pm, but it is Ramadan after all so who knows. I had to come back because I was to pick Jack up from school to take him to his pre-op appointment. 

We had to see two doctors, the ENT and a pediatrician, the anethesiologist, and he had to have blood drawn. They took his vital signs and he weighed 27.8 kg (61 pounds) and was 130 cm with his shoes on (51 inches). When I told Jack he would have his blood drawn, the questions flowed. How will they do that? Will it hurt? Why do they have to use a needle? I just answered him as frankly as I could. Jack has always been the kid that wants ALL the details. He doesn't want any surprises, and if I ever even fudged the truth I would never be forgiven. So I have always told him all the facts, maybe too much at times. 

When the nurse started to draw his blood she told him how important it was that he sit still. She looked at me and then said, 'I will get someone to hold him', to which I replied, 'He's very compliant and there is no need for someone to hold him.'  I was right. He sat perfectly still. He when we, but he was super brave and did as he was told.  

He was super proud of his little hole in his arm. 

After his appointment I made him come to the grocery store with me. We dropped off the groceries and then, since Stuart  was home I headed back to the Emirates ID building. I went in, took a number, sat down for about 10 minutes, and then was told the system was down and I would need to come back tomorrow. Lovely!

When I got home our friend Rochelle came over with her three kids for a 'cuppa' and a chat. They stayed until about 4 pm. The kids then took showers and Stuart made supper. 

Monday morning we were all up and Jack had his hospital bag packed, even though we wouldn't be going until the following morning. Like mother, like son! It's never too early to pack. 

Once the kids and Stuart were gone I headed to the Emirates ID building. I checked in for the second time, saying the exact same phrase as before, 'I need to have the birthdate on my daughter's Emirates ID changed. It's incorrect.'  I was give a ticket and sat, waiting patiently. After about 20 minutes I was called to a window. When I got to the lady at the window, I repeated the phrase again, letting her know why I was there. She said to me, 'Oh, we do not do that here. You will have to go to the main office.' Really? I'm pretty sure at least three people heard me say the exact same thing and no one before the lady behind the counter directed me to the main office. Keeping my cool as not to get arrested, I said thank you very much and headed to the main office. Once I got there the process was pretty easy. The lady who helped me asked if I needed the card that day. She said if I did then it would cost me 150 dirhams. I said no thanks and got a receipt to pick up the card in a week at the post office, Inshallah! So, I may or may not have the card in a week. Then Millie will be set for school next year. What a pain!

I was supposed to come home and call the maintenance people for our villa because we have some repairs that need to happen before we come home, but I was so wiped by the ID experience, I totally forgot to do any of the things on my ' to do' list. Another day!

Jamie came over for a chat and then the kids arrived home. We decided we had to get out of the house so we went to the pool. I wasn't supposed to get in the water, but decided I was healed enough and it was too hot not to do so. I ignored doctor's orders. Oops!

After a good couple of hours we headed home. I actually made dinner, which never happens. The kids showered, ate and Millie headed to bed. Jack stayed up a bit longer and we tried to get him to eat and be very full before bedtime. The hospital had called and told us he could eat up until 2 am, but certainly I wasn't going to wake him up to eat. Silly!

When I put him to bed he had a million questions for me about the surgery. He said he was a little scared. He told me his teacher said it was okay for him to be scared. Clearly, he thinks his mother believes differently. I confirmed that it was fine for him to be scared but he would be fine. 

Jack was awake at 5 am and assured me he was neither hungry nor thirsty. We had told him if he woke up and went downstairs before us, not to eat or drink anything. I took him back to his room and told him he needed to try to go back to sleep for a while. 

When we were all finally awake Jack was already deep into the new game Stuart had downloaded on the iPad for him. He thinks that was the benefit of getting his tonsils taken out. 

Stuart took Millie to school and arrangements were made for Jamie and Joe to pick her up and take her with them for the afternoon. Jack and I headed to the hospital and Stuart was going to meet us there. 

On the journey to the hospital, Jack was asking questions again about what would be happening to him. I told him we couldn't go into the operating room with him but would be there when he was out of recovery and awake. He started to silently weep. I put my hand on his leg and teared up a bit myself. There is nothing more heart wrenching than seeing your children in real physical or emotional pain. I'm not the most compassionate person in the world, but with my kids I like to think I have a little more compassion than normal, although my mother may disagree:) 

Here he is not totally thrilled with what is about to happen. I also realized that these are the same clothes he wore to his appointment on Sunday. They are clean, but you know this bugged me. 

Once we were in the surgery unit and his hospital gown was tied, the iPad came out. They took his vitals, gave him a medication to make him sleepy, then he laid back and relaxed. 

The iPad is our best friend in times like these. 

Once the medication started to kick in, he laid back and Daddy read to him. He loves for Daddy to read to and so do I. 

The nurse came and asked Jack to get in the wheel chair. They wheeled him to the surgery door. I confirmed my signature on the consent forms and the he was wheeled away from us, but not before the anethesiaologist gave him her phone with a game running and he started playing it. Super clever, these folks! The game took his mind off of leaving us and we were settled because when we left him he wasn't upset at all. It was very comforting. 

This was just before he got the doctor's smart phone. 

A doctor came out with updates every 15 minutes or so. When Jack was in recovery they called me back to put on scrubs and go sit with him. He was kind of moaning and whimpering some. He rolled around in his bed and then about 20 minutes later they wheeled him back to his recovery room. 

Stuart took this picture. It made me cry. As a mother, you want to know you are caring for your child with enough of a balance of compassion and toughness. Obviously I have the 'toughness' thing down, but often question my abilities to be terribly compassionate. It's not my strong point. 

They gave him an ice pack to put on his throat. I couldn't help myself. I had to post the picture. Don't be mad at me, Grammie. I know I am a small child for doing this. 

Clever use for this thing, I suppose. When Jack saw it he said, 'This is like a balloon.' Um, yep!

Around 40 minutes after he arrived back in the recovery ward, and moments of him being kind of loopy, he woke up, said his throat hurt and asked if he could watch Paddington on the iPad. The boy was on his way to recovery. Thank the Lord!

After being in recovery for nearly 2 hours, I decided our boy has an extremely high tolerance for pain and is super tough. The boy who had the same procedure done just before Jack was next to us in recovery. Poor soul was still crying and crying and whimpering, while Jack was holding his arm with the fistula up as if he were some kind of super hero. This is also where it pays not to be a coddler. Kids just seem to get on with it. 

Once he was moved into a room he was able to have juice, yogurt, ice cream, milk and water. However, the one thing they failed to tell me was that I would have to bring all of those things for him. I am continually surprised at the differences in this country! I just wish someone would have told me. Even when I had knee surgery I got a meal. It wouldn't have anything to do with Ramadan because children can eat during the day. 

Stuart had brought some juice and ice cream. Since they don't serve food, they provide a microwave and refrigerator in every room. I popped out to get some yogurt, pudding, and something for myself to eat, although I had brought some snacks in a bag. Once I was back from the store, Stuart left to pick Millie up from the rugby club pool. The Griffiths had taken her with them. Stuart and Millie came to the hospital to visit. Millie bright Jack a Ninja turtle. Of course she had a new Barbie doll as well. Surprise!

Sassy jumped straight onto the bed with Jack and had her snack, as you do. 

Stuart and Millie left the hospital just before 6 pm and Jack watched Star Wars. Stuart had brought it from home. There was a DVD player in the room, which was a great, but the television was off set from the bed and the only way he could see the movie was to sit on the chair closest to the television. He soon pooped out and decided to go back to his bed and watch Paddington, on the iPad, for the second time that day. 

I went to sleep on the mat they brought me around 9:30 pm. I drifted in and out of sleep because there were kids running up and down the hallways, screaming and laughing. It was unbelievable that this behavior would be allowed. I complained a few times, but got no results. The noise finally settled down around 2 am. It is just a different world when you are intertwined with the local community. Crazy!

When Jack woke up on Wednesday morning he was in a lot of pain. They had given him suppositories for pain because it seems to get faster results for pain relief. But still yet, I knew he would still be suffering for a few days. He did his best to drink something but he just couldn't hardly. 

The doctor came in to check on him around 8:30 am. At that time I voiced my complaint about the food issue. He said because they are so used to it, he totally forgets to tell people there is no food service. Then he told the nurse it would be a good idea to have that information posted somewhere. Duh!  I then asked for a form to file a formal complaint about the noise late into the morning. I am sure nothing will come of it, but I had to get it off my chest. 

The doctor said as soon as Jack are some real food he could go home. He ate some yogurt, grapes and blueberries. I made him a peanut better and jelly sandwich, but he didn't really want that. He said he did feel better after he had eaten, so I was thrilled. The doctor came back in and discharged us to go to the pharmacy and get his medication. I paid our bill, which was the equivalent to $54 for the entire operation and care, and then we headed home. 

Once Jack was settled and I had put away all the stuff we had dragged to the hospital, I called the maintenance for our complex because we had some things that needed repairing. Jack just rested, which was good. He was very lithargic, but ended up eating the PBJ sandwich and started to perk up just as it was time for me to go to my follow-up appointment for my knee. 

Cathy rode with me to Dubai for my post operation appointment. Dr. Barry was pleased with how I told him I felt and his examination. He reiterated the fact that I had to drop my extra fluff. He then told me my outside joint was not in good shape. He said no knee doctor likes to do a half joint replacement, especially on the outside. So since the inside joint is really good, and much stronger by nature, when I can no longer stand the pain (which by the way, I do not have now) they will do a procedure which basically makes me a little bow legged by breaking my femur from the outside and putting a jack (like car jack, for lack of a better explanation) n the groove and crank it til the pressure is off the outside joint. Then they will bone graph it and put a plate on the outside of my knee for further support. Doesn't that sound like fun? I'm hoping I am about 75 when I can no longer stand the pain. 

After my appointment we stopped at Park and Shop, a favorite stopping by point in Dubai. I bought a few bits, a diet coke and some rice cakes. The plan was to eat and drink in the car on the way home, but we still had to be discrete because it's technically illegal to eat in the car as well. We got home around 7 pm, just in time for me to stick Jack's suppository up his hiney! Lucky me! I hope I get extra parental points for doing such a thing. 

In the middle of the night Jack woke up and wasn't well. I gave him another suppository and he went back to sleep for a couple of hours. He was better on Thursday but still not quite himself. We did have a great day together, though. We played a couple of card games and I taught him how to play Pass the Pig, which is a great game. The Richardsons came by for a visit. Jack went upstairs and played with Legos with Henry. He was very subdued and 'off', which I suppose is to be expected. 

After the Richardsons left the kids got ready for bed, had dinner and hit the hay. I left to go to our staff end of the year party. We had it at the golf club. The downside of being an expat is that other expats leave every year. We said goodbye to some of our colleagues and it was a bit sad. Around 11 pm I could hardly keep my eyes open so I left the party that was still in full swing. 

Friday morning we lounged around, as you do during Ramadan and when it's 115 degrees outside. Stuart and I made some food for our social gathering taking place at the Richardsons that afternoon. Gina showed up just before it was time for us to go to the party. She has been spending a lot of time with us lately and we love it. 

The party was an absolute blast. It seems before everyone leaves for the summer, either for good or just for the break, there are several gatherings to say farewell. This year the Griffiths are the people closest to us who are leaving. We will miss them dearly, but now have a reason to visit Michigan. 

Jack was restricted to the living room at the Richardsons, which was not to his satisfaction. However, he was still recovering and I really wanted him to not risk any damage we were told could be done if he wasn't a little subdued in his activities. 

We got home just before 9 pm and just put the kids to bed. They were wiped and needed baths but I couldn't be bothered. So we just chucked them into bed, and Gina and I proceeded with our House of Cards marathon. We finished the 4 remaining episodes of season 3. Sadly, now we will have to wait until sometime in 2016 when season 4 comes out. Boo!

Saturday morning came way too early, considering I stayed up until after 1 am finishing that silly show. Once we were all awake and dressed we decided to go to lunch at the golf club. Gina left after lunch, then we all had a rest. 

The Richardsons had a load of food left over from the previous night so we were invited there for dinner. Because everyone is leaving for several weeks, the last thing we want is a lot of food in our refrigerators. So now is the time of feeding everyone else's families. 

We were home early because, although the kids don't have to go to school anymore, they still needed to rest up for their guests, Henry and May. Clare still had to work next week so Henry and May were staying with our kids. Sunday is my last day home, then back to work I go.