Cleft lip & palate {bone graft surgery}
When we first began the journey of learning about our daughter’s cleft lip and palate we were given a list of surgeries that were standard…with the clear reality that others surgeries would probably be necessary.
We knew she would need a minimum of 3 surgeries: cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, bone graft. She ended up having a second surgery on her palate a couple years after her first. She was really young for her first three surgeries. Young enough that should couldn’t comprehend all that was happening and young enough to not be anxious or worried prior to surgery.
We always knew her bone graft surgery would be around the age of 8 and I have dreaded it for years – worried about how she would handle leading up to surgery and all those thoughts and emotions. Not once did I worry that we would be in the middle of a pandemic and everything related to surgery and hospitals would be turned upside down.
Yet that is where we found ourselves.
And it turns out all that worrying about if my daughter would be anxious or worried was wasted – she is a pretty no non-sense kind of kid, so she just tackled it head on. Due to Covid-19 only one parent was allowed in the hospital, so she and I made the trip to Texas and left Chris behind. It was pretty rough on him not to be by her side.
We arrived in the evening and prepared for a day of pre-op tests, including the Covid-19 test.
The Covid-19 test is brutal – for a mom to watch and for a little one to endure. However, it was over so quickly and we moved on. The smiles were prior to that test and, yes, I know her mask is not on correctly…we fixed it.
After a day of appointments she wanted a cheeseburger and milkshake for her last pre-surgery meal. Foods that require chewing will be off the table for a while as her the bone graft area heals. We quarantined ourselves in the hospital room and watched more tv in one afternoon that I have in a month!
I won’t post pictures from surgery, but I will say it took a couple hours and her surgeon is amazing. I am incredibly grateful for those that sent prayers, texts, and messages of encouragement our way. She was scheduled to stay the night in the hospital, but she is a rockstar and her surgeon believes kids heal best at home – that has always been true of her.
We made it home and her post-op nurses (aka siblings) helped her road to recovery go quickly and smoothly.
For those wondering about the actual surgery…
After the cleft lip and palate repair surgeries there has still been an opening in her gum line preventing teeth from growing in the space. For this surgery she had bone removed from her hip and grafted into her gum line where her cleft once was. The bone graft will allow teeth to grow there. She also had tissue removed from her hip area and threaded through her lip to fill in areas from the cleft lip repair. To help with pain in the hip area she got a cool fanny pack with a pump that took a tube through her belly button to the incision area of her hip. After 5 days, the tube came out and she was on a faster road to recovery….and she could go swimming and get wet again. And by “tube came out” I mean – she nominated her big sister to pull it out of her belly button! These girls of mine have some kind of crazy bond!
There is a good chance this is her last surgery related to being born with a cleft lip and palate. Four surgeries would be amazing – many kids have so many more than that. We are incredibly grateful to have it behind us and we are so thankful for her surgeon. If you are ever looking for a cranio-facial surgeon – let me know…I would highly recommend hers.
