So tomorrow we try our first round of botax under sedation. We did 4 rounds without anything and Hannah got progressively more anxious before each time. The last time she was in tears just leaving the house and then again when we arrived at the clinic. She has also generalized her anxiety to all doctors' offices/appointments and especially exam tables which she calls "shotter tables." After this last time, her physiatrist said we should consider going to the Comfort Zone, the place at the Children's Hospital where they sedate kids for procedures that would otherwise cause too much anxiety/trauma. They have child life specialists and nurses trained in ways to reduce the stress of the experience by doing things like blowing bubbles and using Emla cream at the site of the IV placement so the kiddos don't feel it going in.
It all sounds great, right?
But there is a downside to everything.
Because she will be under anesthesia, Hannah had to get a physical within a week of the procedure. She also can't eat or drink after midnight tonight. We have to leave the house at o-dark-thirty to be there an hour before the procedure. And it's yet another doctor's appointment, this time in the hospital, and there will still be anxiety and stress as it's new and strange and different. She will undoubtedly ask many times on the ride there, as she does when we go to ANY doctor's appointment now, if she will be getting a shot. And she'll be hungry and cranky and tired because we got up so early and she couldn't eat. And who knows how she'll be when she wakes up.
The alternative?
Another round of 6-8 injections into her leg muscles without any sedation. Five minutes of screaming and crying followed by more anxiety around future appointments.
Neither option sounds so good, does it? And we get to do this 3-4x a year.
Welcome to my world.
3 comments:
we will be doing round one of botox in drake's legs in july. it will be under sedation at children's hospital. they recommended that to us right from the start.
have you seen improvements through the botox injections? i am so worried it won't do anything to help after having to go under and get shots.
thanks.
Krista,
I really hope today's experience at the Comfort Zone is a positive one for Hannah.
When Alex was 4, we had to go there b/c he needed emergency surgery on his eye (long story), and it was a wonderful place. The nurses and doctors were fantastic, and Alex was finally able to calm down in that great setting.
Thinking of you all today. I hope a great experience today might make her comfortable with the idea of getting these shots here periodically down the road.
-Jen
As I Nurse I assist the Pediatricians in our Botox clinic, it is job that I love but on some days it is awful.
I really feel for the parents whose children receive Botox. I see their fear when they come to clinic and it pains me to to see them have to hold their screaming child so we can administer multiple painful injections. There are days when I have to walk out for a moment because I know what hell these parents are going through and it kills me.
We also have a sedation clinic and things can go really well with sedation. I am hoping the sedation worked well and she does not remember the procedure.
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