Originally scheduled for December, Bryson went in for oral surgery #2 to pull out extra teeth matter that grew in and also to put chains on his permanent teeth to help them grow in faster. In December, we went in for the surgery, and it was a really cold day. Bryson was feeling pretty nervous and jittery. He needed to wear a short-sleeve shirt for the anesthesia, but he also chose to wear shorts, which I didn't notice in the rush to get out the door early in the morning. Bryson had a very slight sniffle--no cold, no fever, no coughing/sneezing--which I associate with the fact that it was just a cold morning and the way he dressed. However, when Bryson sniffs, it's always been an exaggerated snort noise. I've never thought twice about it...except in this instance on surgery day, it totally bit him in the butt. He did the snort sniffle in the waiting room, and we were unaware that the front desk warned the nurse. They took us back to a waiting room and took his temperature, completely normal, and the nurse said, "It's a little high." She continued to ask probing questions about whether he was sick or if anyone else in our family was sick that caught us off-guard. We both answered honestly. Then the anesthesiologist came in and continued to ask us the same questions. She looked down his throat and made him blow his nose in a tissue and show the snot to her (clear and hardly anything). Bryson and I were both getting frustrated at this point. She used a placating tone as she told us that sometimes a kid or even a parent lies about their child being sick in order to not have to schedule the surgery again. She warned of the dangers of him having a cold and not being able to breathe out of his nose. Everything checked out normal, and I didn't have concerns about Bryson and the surgery. Then RIGHT as she was taking Bryson back to do the surgery, he did his loud sniffle snort, and I knew it was over. The way she acted like, "Aha! I knew I was right! I just caught them red-handed in a lie!" really didn't go over well with me and Bryson. We had to sit there and listen to a lecture about taking him into the pediatrician and using Flonase, etc. We were both fuming, but what could I do at that point? I had to meet with the accountant again where she ripped up the check and the surgery was rescheduled for February. Bryson hated that he had told all his friends and teachers that he wouldn't be there the next 2 days of school, and then that all changed. But he was mostly furious that he felt like the anesthesiologist accused him of being a liar and expressed that with a lengthy tantrum when we got home, especially when I said that he would need to go to school that day. I let him calm down for an hour, and then took him to school.
I was livid myself, and after talking to a few people to get some perspective, I decided to call the office and share my concerns about the experience. If rescheduling the surgery had to happen, there was a better way to handle the situation. Even though we held two different perspectives of the situation, shaming us and making us aware that they thought we were liars was not professional. The doctor called me back personally and apologized. I did not want to go back after that experience, and Bryson initially refused to go back. But starting over with a new oral surgeon was ultimately going to be more money and time with the initial appointments. It was easiest to just move forward. We asked for a different anesthesiologist, but there is only that one pediatric anesthesiologist at that office. I told Bryson he didn't need to talk to her or look at her.
Morning of the next scheduled surgery, we got there bright and early. When we went back to the waiting room, the anesthesiologist could read from my stone cold demeanor that something was wrong. She excused Bryson with a nurse to take his height and weight, and then innocently asked what was wrong. I shared exactly how Bryson and I both felt after the last experience--the shaming--and how neither Bryson or I had a desire to be back in that office because of her. She responded that she had no idea, the doctor had never talked to her about it (even though he said he would), and simply apologized and asked for my forgiveness. She said that no matter how we felt, she was going to do everything she could to take care of and watch over Bryson as if he were her own child. I thanked her for her apology and was impressed with her professionalism.
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| He actually handled the pain over the next few days really well. |
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| A sweet ministering sister dropped off some balloons and socks on the doorstep to greet him when he got home. That was so thoughtful and meant so much to Bryson. |
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| The swelling lasted almost a week! Because there wasn't any swelling on day 1, we didn't use any ice packs. I feel like the swelling wouldn't have lasted so long if we would have been proactive on day 1. *Update a month later, it was shocking that his teeth came down so fast! After his first orthodontist appointment post surgery, his teeth starting peeking through the gums a week later. He's been a one-tooth wonder for so long that he appreciates feeling normal with front teeth! |
