Next sugeries

[_ehooks1@Excite.com]

My son was born with a cleft lip/palate. He has for the most part gotten it repaired with 3 surgeries. He is now 4 and due to have more sugeries in the coming year. I was wondering if someone who has already been through this could tell me how much harder it was and how it was handled with and by your child. He is getting a nose revision and dental surgery? Also, how did the kids in school react to his scars?


Thank you in advance for you help.

[Karen]

My daughter is five and is having her 12th or 13th surgery next week. I found out that at the children's hospital where she goes they have "Child Life Therapists". A saviour - nice person who has toys, talks about hospital things in nice words and helps my daughter adjust to the idea of medical procedures and surgeries. Check if they have them at your hospital. It has helps decrease my daughter's fears the day of surgery. The program wants to let the kids know that it is okay to be in the hospital.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, I will do that.

[acrossdeemiles@yahoo.com]

HI!
In response to your post, I have been through the operations. I know that your child will experience curiosity from the children he spends the most time with. They are the ones who are most likely to ask why he looks different. Prepare him with positive and concise answers so they can move off the subject easily and back to play. Most kids of your sons age will not notice that people treat them different unless it is direct teasing but that tends to come along at a older age. Children are resilient and he should do fine as long as you are fine and approach the situation calmy and matter-of-factly. Making a deal of it will cause him to do the same. He will probably fit right in with the other kids and the only issue will be "where did you go?" He will have been missed.
I wish you all the best. Feel free to email me if you want to chat!
Dawn