Surgery Day

It's early and still dark, I pick up my sleeping princess and bundle her into the car... Unbeknownst to her, today is a big day. Driving in to the city none of it seems real, I'm not nervous, not anxious, surprisingly calm.

First we arrive at the wrong building, then can't get out of the car park as we are blocked in by fire trucks... Now I am getting nervous, not for the surgery but will we even make it in on time! Rushing into the hospital foyer I am greeted by the receptionist and our anaesthetist, they smile and make jokes with Jaime, they reassure me there is no stress, we might be late but no-one is bothered... Sigh, thank goodness.

We are shown to our room on the paediatric ward, Jaime is surprisingly joyful, considering we have been fasting all morning. We make the hospital cot her own and she happily plays as we wait for her turn in theatre.

It is not long before the nurse greets us and guides us to the operating theatre- now comes the hard part, handing over our precious girl to the anaesthetist. As the anaesthetic mask is placed over Jaime's face she is no longer recognisable as my bouncing joyful girl, the one with the widest smile and cheeky grin, she has become a tiny fragile doll... as her eyes close I give her a kiss and the nurse lifts her from my lap and I now have to leave her.

Now it's real, now I am nervous...

Sitting in the hospital cafe the two hour surgery feels like all day... I try distracting myself, writing, a hot drink and a snack (not that I feel like eating)... But it's hard not to count the minutes until I get to see my darling Jaime again!

After what has felt like a lifetime the surgeon greets me up on the children's ward, it feels strange sitting in her empty room waiting... The surgeon smiles... The surgery has been a great success! I am handed a small x-ray showing Jaime's new implant- strange, however, I cherish this image as it is the first image of my daughter post surgery.

Jaime is still in the hands of the anaesthetist waking from her sedation, my wait is not yet over.

Another 15minutes crawl by... Finally I am guided to recovery to be reunited with my darling angel. Before I see her I can hear her, she is crying- a reassuring sound after waiting for her for so long... The anaesthetist places Jaime into my arms, I am reminded of how fragile she felt when I held her for the first time at her birth, in a strange way this is her rebirth into the world of hearing.

Jaime spends most of the remainder of the day sleeping or cuddled in my arms, understandibly she is cranky, but sleep will soon fix that!

3am and Jaime wakes, for the first time since the surgery I am greeted by her signature smile. Her bright eyes tell me she is ready to play (my eyes are barely staying open! Mum needs more sleep!)

Jaime keeps the nurses amused by helping out at the nurses station, smiles all round on the ward tonight!

Once Jaime tires we return for a few more hours sleep before discharge the next morning, we are keen to get home and begin our recovery and countdown to our 'switch on' day!

Two weeks later and our countdown is almost over! Jaime has recovered well... She has also been busy learning to stand all on her own (nervewracking just post surgery on her noggin!) Now we just need her ready to learn to hear!

Tomorrow is 'switch on' day!! The day we have been working toward for the last 9months!

Bring it on...!

**Quiet world mumma has also been busy, for some mad reason I felt now would be a perfect time to arrange a "Loud Shirt Day Ball" to raise funds for Taralye!

For more details and ticket sales please visit www.facebook.com/jaimesquietworld

Help other kids just like Jaime!