Allie's surgery

This girl has to always keep us on our toes for some reason.   A few weeks ago she got sick, and I noticed she had a lump on the side of her head, between her eye and the top of her ear.  I thought maybe it was a lymph node, but it was in a weird place.  So I kept an eye on it for a few days and it never got smaller, so I took her to the doctor.  She referred me to an eye specialist who was also a plastic surgeon.  He checked it out and said he wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it needed to be removed because it was sitting on a nerve, and could damage it.  So the next morning we were at the hospital for her little surgery. 

She did great.  It was easier this time than last time, when she had her hernia surgery, because it's not a big deal for her to go without food anymore.

The little hopistal pajamas fit her better than they did last time.

She had no idea what was about to happen, and I felt bad about that.  She was just sitting there, happy as a clam.  When they took her away she had a sad face and whimpered a little bit, but it wasn't too bad.
















The surgery only took about half an hour.  She looked so pitiful when they brought her back.  Her eyes were really red, and she didn't blink for the longest time.  She had ointment all over her face from them trying to keep her eyes moist.  I could tell she didn't feel good, probably nauseated, and her throat hurt from the breathing tube.  But she perked up pretty fast.  By the time I got her home an hour later, she was back to her usual self.  She didn't even need tylenol, and the stitches haven't seemed to bother her at all.

It turns out it was a "dermoid cyst."  They start during development in the womb when some cells get stuck between some bones.  Since they are skin cells, they continue to grow just like other skin cells.  They are harmless, as in they are not cancerous, but they can cause damage if they press on things like nerves, blood vessels and organs.

I've learned over the years that I have a good mother's instinct.  I know when something is a big deal and I should be worried, and when I don't need to worry about it.  I always knew this was not a really bad thing.  I did have moments of stress during the surgery when my imagination went into overdrive and I thought about the worst case scenarios.  But I really wasn't worried most of the time.
I am glad it's all taken care of though.  I'll be even happier when the stitches are out because that sort of thing kind of grosses me out, and also I like to kiss her there.


*warning* disgusting fact to follow:
Have you ever heard of those big tumors that have hair and teeth and fingernails and stuff?  While hers was just skin, it's the same kind.  Gross, eh?