Trigger Thumb Surgery

"Trigger thumb is a painful condition that causes the thumb to catch or "lock" most often in a bent position."

So back in December I went to do a hand print of each of the kids and when I went to do Curran's hand I kept trying to straighten out his thumb and he just kept saying ouch mom that hurts so I looked at it and tried straightening it again and thought that was really weird. I didn't think much more about it cause we were leaving that night to California and I just sort of forgot about it.
We got to California and a few days later we were sitting around talking with Clint's family and it dawned on me to look at it again and then check out Callie's. Sure enough it was permanently bent in a locked position, and sure enough Callie had it too. Curran's was on his right thumb and Callie's was on her left. Neither one of them had it on their other hands...That was until we got home from California and I noticed Callie's right thumb was now bent...So strange!
I started doing a lot of research on it and in the mean time Curran's thumb and popped out a few times when he would fall on it and was in a lot of pain. He thought it was broken. So I decided to take the kids into the Dr.
So what happens is there is a calcium build up at the end of the tendon in the thumb that won't let the thumb slide open and closed and so it stays locked.
So this is what brings us to March 23. Surgery Day! We tried not to make a big deal about it because I know the kids would freak out if we did. So we only said something to them the day before and Clint got them really excited about getting "new thumbs."
We had to be there at 7 am. The kids were excited about it until we got to the hospital and they had to put on their hospital gowns. That's when they both became really stubborn, and I know it was because they were nervous and really I don't blame them. I would be too. I have never had surgery before and lucky for these two, Callie has had two surgeries and Curran has had one up to this point. (I know my kids are crazy)
Curran was just walking through the halls of the hospital in his underwear, which the nurses thought was pretty funny and cute, and everyone there was soooo nice to the kids and to us. They gave the kids blankets to take home and wooden cars. (they even gave one to Conrad)

They put us in a big room, and turned a movie on for the kids! The anesthesiologist came in and talked to them and gave them their own masks to practice putting on their faces with a giant balloon, and wanted them to try blowing up the balloons. They asked them their favorite colors so when they came out of surgery that's what color of wrap they would have on their hands. When the Dr. got there at 8 he came in and marked a "yes" on each of their hands. Curran's right and Callie's left. They thought that was pretty funny!
First they came to take Curran. They wrapped him in a warm blanket and carried him off. He was gone about a half our when the nurse said he did great and was just in recovery. Next thing I know I could hear him all the way down the hall. He was screaming...hahahahahah! It's pretty funny that you recognize your own kids cry or scream even though you are not with them.
They brought him in the room and he was just crying uncontrollably and wouldn't open his eye's. He was like that for about ten minutes and the nurse finally came in and asked if it was ok if they shut our door because we were right by the front desk and that's when she looked at him and was like, well that's why he is feisty, he is a red head. Clint and I just started to laugh. He just kept yelling "I don't want it" which we later realized it was the iv in his hand he was referring too. I finally sat him up and basically shook him and just kept saying his name and he finally snapped out of it. By this point he was pretty content watching Sleeping Beauty and eating Gold fish and drinking apple juice.

Next was Callie's turn. Thank Goodness they had taken her before they brought Curran back because if she would have seen his reaction I think she would have flipped out more than she did. So about ten minutes before they took her back she just started sobbing. She was really nervous and just didn't want to be there anymore. When they came to take her. The anesthesiologist had to take her because she was too strong and too big for the nurse to take her. She started to SCREAM! I mean she was fighting with all her might to get away from him...She was Yelling MOMMY no! Then we heard her scream and cry all the way down the hall. So about a half hour later the nurse came in and said it went really well and she she pretty much climbed on top of the anesthesiologist head trying to get away from the table and when they finally got the mask on her, they said she fell real fast and was fine. They wheeled her in on a bed and she was still really groggy but wasn't screaming. She asked for a purple slushy. They had to just monitor her for about 30 minutes and then we were good to go.
So we went home with a blue hand and a purple hand. They kids have only complained of it hurting that first day, but other that they have been really good about it. Curran won't keep his bandage on and I can't get Callie to take hers off. Oh and neither of them want to look at it because they think it looks gross.
And this sweet little pie slept through most of the excitement. We just put him on one of the beds, rolled the sides up and let him sleep.
We will most likely be doing Callie's other hand this summer when she is not in school.