Conscious Sedation - A New Experience for Our Brave Girl

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I am so very proud of both Rob and Faith. I only wish I could have been there with them. Today was a new experience as Faith's medical providers used conscious sedation while administering her Botox shots.

I was pretty bummed that I couldn't be there. January marks our busiest month at work so taking time off is limited. I already have to take time off on Monday for an appointment. So, there I was this morning at work wanting to be with Faith and praying that all would go well.

Rob and Faith had to be at the hospital at 8:30. Faith's pediatrician was there, along with a few other of Faith's favorite medical providers. She was especially happy to see PBS playing on the television. Seeing something familiar helped to keep her calm.

Rob and I have struggled in the past wondering if conscious sedation was the right thing to do for Faith. It just didn't seem like giving her sedation drugs every time she got Botox was very good for her. In the past during her Botox injections, I would have to hold her down while they gave her the five shots in the back of her legs. It seemed to take forever, and she screamed through the whole ordeal but when it was over she was fine.

For this round, Faith's doctors talked us into using conscious sedation. They said it was better for her, not just because it was painless but because Faith wouldn't have as vivid of a memory of the event. 

They also told us that she would not be completely put under like she had been with her feeding tube surgery and her phenol block. She had a really tough time after those procedures because the anesthetics really upset her tummy and we ended up having to stay at the hospital longer than anticipated.

Needless to say, today's event went much better than we could have possibly imagined. Faith didn't cry once - not even when they tried to put the iv in one hand and then when that didn't work, put it in the other. After giving her the sedation medication, Faith was very relaxed but not completely asleep. Rob was right there by her side praying for her the whole time. And before they knew it, they were back home.

I was a little stunned when I checked my e-mail on my lunch break and Rob said everything went really well and that Faith didn't even cry. I called home on my 2:00 break just to make sure everything was still okay. 

Faith was happy and excited for me to come home so she could tell me about her adventure at the hospital. When I did get home, she said, "Mommy I was a really big girl at the hospital today." 

She has lots of stickers to prove it!

Our brave girl in her new jammies!

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