May I be excused? Not.

KB had his surgical procedure done the day before yesterday early in the morning.  The two moles (atypical neuvi) were scraped off and stitches were put in by the dermatologist surgeon.  I had bought KB an Omnitrix
as a reward for cooperating with us to get this done.  I figured I might as well give it to him before the surgery rather than after it.  It sure came in handy because KB was completely distracted by it and talking about it the morning of the surgery.  He talked about it and explained the whole concept of Ben 10 and the different alien forms to the nurses.  When the anesthesiologist walked in and was talking to him, he challenged her saying, "I am sure I wont fall asleep no matter how much anesthesia you give me.  I have too much energy".  She was this tall, supremely confident sounding woman who turned to me and said, "He sure is a talker. I could talk to him for the next four hours!".  When it was time for him to be wheeled into the OR, I told KB I would see him in a few minutes.  I felt bad conning him like that but I had no choice.  I didn't want him to feel the anxiety.  I knew a minute after going in, they would give him the general anesthesia.

We took KG along with us to the hospital.  Both kids woke up by 5.45 a.m. that day.  B got her ready for school at 8.30 a.m. while I was inside with KB.  He dropped her at school and came back by 9.30 a.m. I was so sleepy because I had not slept much at all and I had not had anything to drink since the previous night - I just could not get myself to that morning because we were not allowed to give KB anything to drink until after the surgery.  B saw me slouched on the waiting room chair and went downstairs to get coffee and Biscotti. Of course, Murphy's law - exactly at that point the surgeon came out to tell me, "KB is up.  But he is mad because he is in a new place and he is a little disoriented because the anesthesia is wearing out".  I ran in and saw him crying loudly, with IV needles and electrodes for monitoring still stuck on him.  He hates to even have band-aid on himself longer than needed.  He was hungry, disoriented and angry with the doctors for "troubling him so much".  Somehow we managed to sign all the discharge papers and got him into the car seat and started driving when he instantly fell asleep.  He slept for a couple of hours after we got home.  He had some milk after he woke up though it was lunch time.  He had some cereal and then asked to shower.  He normally likes to shower first thing in the morning.  He was again very upset that he could not shower for a day.  I toweled him down with a warm towel and changed his clothes after which he felt OK.

He is recovering slowly now.  Walking slowly because there are two sets of stitches in his lower abdomen.  He is scared when I touch the bandaged area to apply antibacterial ointment.  I sent him to school today.  Normally after they have a quick snack during their lunch break (KB has his real lunch at home), they ask the lunch teacher, "May I be excused?" and then they go off to play.  Today KB told me, "I won't ask Mrs.X may I be excused, Mamma...I will just sit with a friend and talk because I cannot run".  Later in the afternoon when I picked him up I asked him how it went.  He said, "Mamma, twice I asked my friend E to sit with me.  But he didn't!".  I then asked KB, "Were you OK with it?". He said, "Yeah Mamma, I was OK.  I just watched the other kids play.  And I watched all the ravens".  Thank God for a boy who delights in nature and in little children.  KB loves to see little children waddling and talking baby language.  He loves to see bees trying to get nectar from flowers and watch the gulls fly up in the air and count how many of them are flying.  I felt a tug in my heart at the image of my child sitting there alone but I made myself stronger and grow just a little more as a parent.  I told him, "KB, I am so happy that you were OK.  You don't always  need a friend sitting next to you right".  He said, "Yeah, I don't always need a friend sitting next to me.  I had fun looking at the ravens".

Suture removal in two weeks.  Thanks to all of you for your good wishes.  Will keep you posted on the progress in two weeks.