Sigh of relief.

I don't know how else to explain it.
I can breathe a little easier now as Moira's CT scan is over. As I wrote about in my entry The Birthmark and the Bump Moira has what the plastic surgeon believes to be a dermoid cyst on her upper right forehead. We had an appointment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP)this past Friday morning for a CT scan.
When we first met with the plastic surgeon, he mentioned a CT scan and casually mentioned that Moira would be sedated for the scan. He explained how it would be a low dose of medication and basically she would be in a light sleep, mainly because she could not lie still without it. From that appointment until this past Wednesday, I have been silently freaking out inside about the potential of Mo being sedated.
I know people, even children, are sedated day in and day out, for scans, and surgeries and all different medical procedures with little to no fanfare. I know in the logical part of my brain that this is true.
But in mommy brain, I was freaking out. What if she had a reaction? How would she handle the meds? What would she be like after? Would we lose a day or a couple of days as she rebounded from the after-effects? How would I handle her going under?
All that worry was for naught. My first glimpse of a different option came on Wednesday when a nurse called and let me know they could try doing the scan WITHOUT sedating her. Of course, my heart lifted as she mentioned the words without sedation. The problem, however, would be that she would need to be sleeping for them to preform the CT scan.
Yeah, that might happen! My kid who is literally running from sun up to sun down, would be able to sleep through a CT scan. HAH!
On Friday morning, just as I jumped out of the shower and was about to bathe Moira, the phone rang. It was a nurse, Ryan, (yes, a male nurse) who was in charge of the CT scheduling. He again reminded me that they could try to do the scan without sedation if she was asleep. His advice- keep her awake. Sit in the back of the car for the hour and 15 min. trip and keep her awake.
IT WORKED!!!!
We got to CHoP and spent a little over an hour and a half in the waiting room. Mo was a champ! She played and talked to other kids. We only ran into one hurdle. When Bry was checking in, we found out that the plastic surgeon's office did not send in the script. After a delay of about a half-hour, we were called in and right around 11she started to get a little antsy. We went into the prep room, met (the male nurse) Ryan, and waited for our turn. As I held Mo in my arms she started her "sleepy song". When she's tired she actually sings to herself to sleep. It's more of a hum, but it seems to be our indicator that she is on her way to dreamland. So she started humming and before Bry could remove his sweater, she was out!!! Ryan happened to walk by just as she nodded off and upon seeing that, he decided to get us into the CT scan STAT!
He took a blanket and I passed off my sleeping baby to him. We walked to the CT scan room, all the while I'm praying and hoping and wishing that she stays asleep. As they brought up a gurney from the ER for another child needing a CT scan, Ryan explained he was going in the lab to sit and we'd be next.
I continued to pray- stay asleep. STAY ASLEEP!
We were up. Bry and I put on the protecting aprons as Ryan successfully got Moira onto the examining table.
She didn't move or make a sound, even as they strapped her onto the table.
The other nurse explained that it would take about 10 minutes and off the went. Bry and I looked at each other and we both thought the same thing.
She'd be up in a minute.
We were wrong, as we watched the seconds tick on the clock, she slept. She slept through the entire 20 minutes she was on the table. Just as they undid the Velcro her eyes shot open and she looked menacely at the nurse. When she saw me she gave me a great big smile and I sighed a big sigh of relief.
She did the scan without sedation! I basically skipped out of there. Mo was famished and ate nearly an entire banana before we made it out of the parking lot.
The scan is over. I can breathe easy.
Now we have to wait for the results.