Your Surgery Book

Your Surgery Book© 06/2011

The hospital has books andother things to look at while thenurse is listening to your heartand asking questions.You will alsohave a littlehug on yourarm, or haveyour bloodpressure checked. Have you hadthis done before?The nurse will check yourtemperature. Do you like to haveyour temperature taken under yourtongue or under your arm best?The nurse will also put somethingon your finger to check how yourheart is beating and how theoxygen in your body is working.You might hear it called a “pulseox.” It is like a little hug for yourfinger. It does not hurt at all.3

You will alsohave to changeinto a pairof hospitalpajamas.You can keep your clothes in a specialbag and change back into them beforeyou go home. Have you seen pajamaslike this before?After the nurse gets all the information about you, it will be time to go to the nextstop. You and the grown-ups you are with will ride on the elevator to the 1st floor.You will wait in a place called the “Pre- Op Holding Room.” This is a place wheresome more people will talk with you. There are books to look at and an I SPYpicture on the wall. There is also a TV.4

5Most of the people in the “Pre Op Holding Room” and other areas aroundwhere they do surgeries and tests might look different to you. They will have onhospital clothes, or “scrubs”, have hats on and some might have masks on. Theseare to protect you from germs. Here is an example of what a nurse who worksin the “Pre -Op Holding Room” looks like:Have you everworn a maskbefore?Have you everseen anyone in“scrubs” before?You will meet your team of doctors andnurses who will be helping you. They will askmore questions, like if you ate breakfast themorning of your surgery or test, or if you haveloose teeth. When the doctors and nurses aredone asking the grown-ups you are with aboutyou, it will be time to start your surgery ortest. This is the “See Ya Later” time, when yousay, “See Ya Later” to the grown-ups you are with. They will wait across the hallin a waiting room. You will go to the room where they are doing your surgery ortest. You can walk, have a nurse carry you or ride on a bed. You can take yourfavorite blanket or stuffed animal with you.

If you are having surgery, youwill go to the operating room,or “OR.” The OR looks like this.Did you ever see a room like this? There is a bed and a lot of hospital stuff.Not everything in the room will be used for you. There are really big lightsto help the doctor see what he or she is working on. Can you see the biglights in the picture? There are even computers in this room! Do you ever playon computers? When you get into this room, the nurse will check your bloodpressure, or give your arm a hug; you will also have some stickers put on.One sticker will be on your finger or maybe your toe. This helps the doctorsand nurses know how you are breathing and how your heart is beating. Youwill also have some stickers by your heart, or on your chest.6

If you are having surgery or test and youneed to lie very still you are going to behaving medicine to help you take a nap.There are doctors and nursesat the hospital that give you thenap medicine.It is not medicine you have to eat or drink. Your body does not have to try totake a nap. It is different than the kind of nap you take at home, or a differentsleep than when you sleepat nighttime. You breathethis medicine with a littlemask. Have you seen a masklike this before? This mask issoft. It goes over your noseand mouth. Your only job isto take a few breaths andthen you will take your nap.7

When you’retaking your nap,the doctor ornurses will giveyou a little straw.Your body will be thirsty, so this little strawwill help your body have a drink while youare sleeping. Have you seen a straw likethis before? It is called an “I.V.”When you wakeup from yournap, you willsee this littlestraw taped toyour body.It may be on your hand, or maybe yourfoot. This is giving your body a little drink.A nurse will slide this little straw out beforeyou go home.

When your surgery or test is over, the doctorsand nurses stop giving you nap medicine and youwill start to wake up. You will be in the wake uproom. The wake up room looks like this. Therewill be one bed and one nurse just for you. Thenurse will check these things: your blood pressure(giving your arm a hug), your temperature, youwill have a little sticker on your finger or a toe, tolet him or her know how you are breathing andhow your heart is beating and he or she will listento your heart.Some kids say theyfeel sleepy when theyare in the wake uproom.That is okay and normal. You can just rest in thatroom. Once the nurse knows you are feeling okay,it will be time for you to go to another room. Youwill ride on the bed (note to parents—per hospitalpolicy—children 4 and under will ride in a crib), goon an elevator; go upstairs and to the other room.This is the room where the grown-ups that are withyou will be waiting for you. When you get to thatroom, you can have something to drink or maybeeven a Popsicle. The nurse will check you again tomake sure you are feeling okay, and once you feelokay, you will go home.

Things to remember if you’re coming tothe hospital for surgery or a test:1. The night before-take a nice warm bath or shower! Take off nail polishif you are wearing any.2. It is important to follow the rules about not eating and drinking.3. Dress in comfortable clothes.4. Bring your favorite blanket or stuffed animal with you.5. Ask a lot of questions. You can even write downquestions before you come!6. There are a lot of people at the hospital who arethere to help you. You are going to do a great job!Other books to read tolearn more about the hospital:All books available at the MGH Library. Check your local library for availability.• A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital by Sesame Street• Tubes in My Ears: My Trip to the Hospital by Virginia Dooley• Franklin Goes to the Hospital by Paulette Bourgeois• Surgery for Me? by Sara Jane Books• Good-Bye Tonsils! by Craig Hatkoff• Curious George Goes to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer• Little Critter: My Trip to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer• The “O, My” in Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy by Laurie E. ZelingerNotes: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________10

11I am a nurse.Color me.

We are all scrubbedup and ready forsurgery. Color us.12

This is a hospital roomwhere you will rest untilyou feel well enough to gohome.Color it.13

Put your stickerson this page...14