About a year ago, I noticed that Nicky had something that looked like a second belly button pooching out on his tummy. When we went for his well-check, I mentioned it to the pediatrician. She said that it could be a number of things. First (and most likely) - a hernia, second (not likely) - a tumor, or third - some kind of random lump of tissue that was just hanging out under the skin. She made a note in his chart about the bump, where it was, the approximate size, and told us not to worry because we'd check on it again later.
Fast forward a year.
Can you see it?
Look about three inches about his belly button.
We went in for Nicky's four year-old well check. This time, when the doctor checked it, she felt as though it had increased in size and changed color a bit (getting bluish), so she decided it would be good to do an ultrasound to see what was going on.
Nicky was so great during the ultrasound - well-behaved and cooperative. The tech was impressed and gave him a Spiderman sticker. The very next day, the pediatrician called me to tell me that Nicky did indeed have a hernia, surgery would be needed for correction, and she was going to give us a referral for a surgical consultation.
Four thousand phone calls, another visit with a different pediatrician, and twenty-seven arguments with insurance companies later (grrrr...), we had an appointment to see the pediatric surgeon.
We met her on Monday, and she agrees 100% with our pediatrician. Nicholas has an epigastric hernia that will only be resolved by surgical means. The basic run-down: we do not have to do this surgery if we don't want to. Nicky is not in pain or in danger, and there aren't any complications right now from the hernia. However, choosing to wait could end up being more complicated and dangerous than getting this issue resolved quickly.
Here's a picture for educational purposes.
Now, don't you feel smarter?
Basically, Nicky's abdominal wall (the fascia) has a defect, a small hole. It was probably present from the time he was born, we just didn't notice it until something from his insides poked through. That's where the problems come in. We don't know for sure what's poking through (no one told us if it was evident on the ultrasound, and the surgeon didn't mention anything). It could just be a piece of fat (the most common), or it could be a piece of something important, like his intestine. If we don't do the surgery, he could be just fine, and this could all resolve itself as he gets older. Alternatively, whatever has poked through the hole could get strangulated, start to necrose (rot), and we could end up with a much more urgent surgical situation and Nicky could get very sick.
So, my poor baby will be going under the knife in two weeks. We've planned to attend a pre-op tour of the hospital a few days before the operation, where they will explain some things to Nicky in kid-friendly language, show him around a bit, and just familiarize him in general with all the things that will be happening on the day of his procedure. I'm hoping this will keep him from melting down when we actually show up on the big day, and that it will ease some of my anxiety a bit. None of my kids has ever had surgery before, so this is a big deal for us.
The actual operation should only take about 30 minutes to an hour. It's just an outpatient procedure, so we'll be able to bring him home whenever he is fully awake and cleared to be discharged. The recovery is going to be...um...interesting, to say the very least. For the first few days, he really needs to be resting completely. Then, he's really supposed to be pretty relaxed and chilled out for TWO WEEKS. (I laughed out loud when the surgeon told us that.) Oh, kill me. Seriously, any of you that know Nicholas well will realize that is almost an impossibility. The child does not simply walk across a room, he somersaults. He can't tell a story without doing an interpretive dance at the same time. While watching a movie, he is rolling around on the couch or the floor while he recites dialog. This is the child that rips holes in the knees of his pants while he's playing inside the house. To have him be still for two weeks is going to be very, very difficult.
So, please send some prayers up for our little Nick-Nick, that the surgery would be fast and effective, and that his healing would be quick and easy. We'll keep you posted!
