So after taking D into the Royal United Hospital, Bath for a very routine operation in the Day Surgery unit, I’ve come out with a few tips that might help other parents prepare for it. Its a long day for a child, particularly as they are not allowed to eat for 6 hours before the operation, which is an eternity in their eyes. Plus the operating lists are done in order of age. So if your child is a youngster they should be seen first – but older children face a long wait on the ward before they are seen. The staff are wonderful, friendly & professional and the ward is clean and warm, so I have no issues with them at all. But here are my top tips for getting through the day as seamlessly as possible:
1) Take something for the child to do

We planned ahead and bought a magazine with a toy on front and quizzes/comics inside. Kept him amused for an hour or so. But otherwise you’ll need books, pens & paper for drawing, toys etc. This is where an iPhone or handheld computer game comes into its own. Or one of those poratble DVD players would have been ideal! They do have a playroom but its very toddler orientated – Daniel got a jigsaw out to find that half the pieces were missing! I did have ago at tidying up the room a bit as I felt sorry for the poor bored children who went in there to be confronted by a whole pile of discarded chairs and tables

2) Take something for you to do

I was lucky I had my iPhone so I could check my mails and update statuses (didn’t see any “No Mobile Phone” signs which I’m sure they used to have at the RUH?) But even after an hour or so of doing that I was start to feel a bit bored.

3) Bring some of their favourite food for when they come round

Useful top I had from another mum about this. I had brought some Ribena in a squirty bottle, some cold pasta and pesto with some cut up sausages, a packet of Quavers and some chocolate coins. After having to have a little encouragement to drink something when he’d had a half an hour kip after coming out of the recovery room, he wolfed down the whole lot! Probably said about 5 words to me the whole time. Poor thing must have been hungry as he hadn’t eaten anything for 12 hours

4) Don’t bother taking pyjamas or robes

He didn’t need them – just straight out of his normal clothes into a pathetically short surgical down. Then back into his civvies when he was about to go home. And you don’t really need extra layers as the RUH is so warm

5) Make sure clothes that they are wearing are quite loose fitting.

Would definitely recommend soft jersey/tracksuit material – also have loose fitting sleeves on tops as the nurses don’t take the cannula out of the back of the hand until right tat the end so it makes it tricky putting tight sleeves on

6) Take some cash for the canteen

Well you’ll need to get a coffee and a snack at some point

7) Make friends with the others in the waiting room at the start

You’ll be stuck together for the next 6 hours in quite close proximity and will often overhear their discussions. Daniel was wonderful and played with a little one year old by playing hide & seek with him. Which hi frazzled parents were eternally grateful for

Have a balanced reaction

I was definitely of the camp “Its all very routine nothing is going to go wrong” unlike some of the parents who’d come back from the pre med rooms with tear stained faces after watching their little ones having an anaethestic. But it was only while I was having a cup of tea while D was in the theatre that it struck me how life and death it all could be. I still tried to carry on as if it would all be ok – and it was, thankfully. And I think that was good for D to see me taking it all in my stride and probably contributed to his relatively good experience of it all.

But since I’ve got home and he’s gone to bed – can feel the tension and stress for the past 12 hours starting to leave my body. So it shows that I had been internalising a hell of a lot of parental worry about it all. Maybe I should have shed a tear at the time?