Preparing Children for Surgery: A Prayer Request

The day has finally approached and I think mom is more nervous than Dylan. After months and months of waiting and one re-schedule, little Dylan will finally get his surgery that is long overdue (tomorrow - December 29, 2010). I know that God has our little guy in his hands and that everything should go just fine, but there's always room for prayer.

I have held several little talks with Dylan to "prepare" him for the day and he is being so brave! He knows that the doctors are going to "fix" him and he says that he is ready to be a big boy and show how brave his is tomorrow.

I'm not sure if there is a "real" way to prepare a child for surgery, but even at three years old, Dylan understands that he needs surgery to "fix" him.

Here are my recommendations if you ever need to prepare your child for surgery, even at a very young age:

Preparing Your Child For Surgery

• Talk to your child. Explain the problem on their level and ask if they have any questions. 
• Answer their questions to the best of your ability and try to dispel any fears that they have.
• Assure your child that you will be with them all the way through. Let them know that they will not be alone, at any point of the surgery (even if you can't physically be right next to them during the surgery, you will be there for the parts that they will actually remember.)
• Allow your child to express their feelings and talk through their fears.
• Dispel their fear of pain by telling them that the surgery is to make them better, not worse.
• Some children think that they are getting punished for being bad, rather than getting surgery to fix an issue. Make sure that this misconception is cleared up and that your child completely understands why they need the surgery, to the best of your abilities.
• Read them books about surgery and hospitalization. Here are some suggestions:

Fred Rogers. Going to the Hospital. G.P. Putnam's Sons, Inc., 1988
Deborah Hautzig. A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital. Random House, Inc., 1985
Sara Bonnett Stein. A Hospital Story. Walker and Company, 1974

• You and your child can participate in a hospital tour prior to the surgery. This may or may not be good for your child. It can cause even more anxiety and seem overwhelming, so the decision whether or not to participate in one of these tours is up to you, the parent.
• Most of all, give your child lots of hugs, kisses and reassurance that you will be with them through the whole process. Make them feel special and loved.
• On the day of surgery, be sure to bring anything your child uses for security; a blanket, a pillow or a favorite stuffed animal. This will come in handy after the surgery is over.

Good luck if you ever need to go through surgery with your child. Send me a message and I will say a prayer for you.

God bless you for your prayers!