Paging Dr. Stella

These next few days will be spent getting ready for Nicholas' 3rd birthday as well as preparing him for his surgery on Thursday. We bought Nicholas a number of books recommended by the Child Life Specialists at the hospital as well as talking with him about what was going to happen on Valentine's Day. I found out today that we won't be able to get in for a tour of the hospital and operating room before the surgery but the Child Life Specialist at the Goryeb Children's Hospital was wonderfully helpful!

She spent about 25 minutes on the phone with me this morning giving me all sorts of tips on how to prepare our little guy for Thursday. She then offered to make Nicholas a bag of "goodies" to help him get familiar with what was going to happen and what he was going to see. I headed up to the hospital today and met with her for a little bit longer and picked up Nicholas' goodie bad. I was keeping my fingers crossed for some scrubs but no such luck! ;)
Nicholas received a surgical mask, a surgical hat/hair protector, an anesthesia mask, some stickers, a band aid, a Dr. Mickey picture to color and an entire coloring book about having surgery that he actually sat and listened to and then colored. He did really well as we talked about what was going to happen. I think he will probably be scared, I am and would be, but I think a few more days of talking and using the masks and hat will help him. Here are a few shots of his first try at getting into his doctor gear. I'll have to hang on to these just in case he really does become a doctor!

Showing us how to use the anesthesia mask.
(This was the part I thought he was going to hate.
He seems pretty ok with it being over his mouth and nose!)

Nicholas' post anesthesia face

Dr. Nicholas Stella

Checking Out His Dr. Mickey Picture