I know that what your child is going through may be scary for them, but it is even scarier for you as a parent. Here are some helpful tips provided by me and my own parents:

• If you have a house with two or more floors, rent a hospital bed for when your child returns from the hospital after the surgery and place it in an area where there usually are the most people. The doctor may discourage you from doing this, but it helps to make sure that your child does not feel left out when he or she does not have a lot of energy.
• Be prepared for what your child will look like when he or she comes out of surgery. It will probably be different from what you are used to seeing, including slight swelling of the face due to anesthesia.
• Encourage your child to voice their concerns before and after the surgery. Ask them if they are feeling any pain and be sensitive to their needs, but you must also be slightly firm. If the child is asked to move, stand, sit up, or walk and they say that they do not want to, do what is in their best interest and listen to what the doctor has to say. Pneumonia is a common occurrence if you allow your child to stay in bed after the surgery. As little as ten minutes of movement every hour will help the healing process.\
• If possible, find out if there are any medications that your child is allergic to beforehand. This will help the doctors to find out what is best for your child during their hospital stay.
• On the day of your child’s surgery, bring people to wait with you while your child is in the operating room. The surgery can take many hours and it is best for you and the child if other people are there, especially when he or she awakens from the anesthesia.
• After the surgery, your child may not have the best appetite, due to body trauma. Make sure they have foods that go down easily, but not anything that requires big bites.

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