B & P Nelson Family

Braden has survived! The long anticipated surgery has been accomplished! Braden went into KGH (Kennewick General Hospital) at 6 am Thursday morning to have "orthonagstic" surgery. He began this long road in 4th grade when normal orthodontics would not correct his overbite. Dr. Crawford did the surgery and said everything was very successful. Braden went into surgery at 7:30 am, and we got to see him in the recovery room 3 hours later at about 11:00. He was really groggy. His face wasn't very swollen, and I was so happy to see him o.k. There were lots of wires and cords attached to him as they checked on his vitals. He was put into the ICU unit of the hospital because they are remodeling and that was where they had room. This was very nice, he had a private room and his own nurse. The nurses were really good and took great care of him. Of course, they enjoyed having a 17 year old as opposed to a 70 year old! His mouth is rubber banded shut to teach his jaw where to close. He also had a morphine pump that he could push every 7 minutes. It was a game to him: if it beeped at him, he lost and couldn't have more medicine, and if it didn't beep, he won more medicine! He dozed in and out most of the day. We fed him water with a syringe. Because he had an IV in, we weren't worried about hydration. In the afternoon, some friends from school came by to visit. Casey Hare, Eric Turner, Merilee Strong, and Mindy Strong brought him some pudding and a Snowboarding magazine (which Dr. Crawford pointed out was a definite NO-NO). The heart monitor spiked when girls walked into the room! There was also a canine visitor. A beautiful brindle boxer and his handler were visiting patients. Cameron, Kolby and Melissa came with Brett to see him around dinner. Braden likes the visitors.

Early Friday morning, he was taken off the pump and other tubes. He was given Lortab in a liquid form. He got to have some yogurt (with the syringe) and he really liked the chicken broth! Oh, so good! When I left him Thursday night, it was really hard. I knew he was in good hands and that he would be fine, but I still wanted to stay with him and make sure. I also know how yucky it is to be alone in the hospital through the night. It is very lonely. He said he watched ESPN a little, slept a little, and laid there.

At 1:00, Dr. Crawford came by and checked him out. He said he could go home and gave him some prescriptions. He also said he would continue to swell. It is hard to believe he could swell more. He didn't swell at first. We could even still see his dimples! (Much to my relief!) But sure enough, he has continued to swell. He is also bruising where he is swollen. Dr. Crawford said that some people are bruisers, and evidently he is. He is now home and playing host to visitors. We are so relieved that the surgery went well and he is doing so great! We love him!