[MUSIC]
Welcome to Duke Children's Hospital.
My name is Polly.
I'm one of the child life specialists here.
We make hospital visits easier for kids and families.
We help lots of kids like you who need to have surgery.
Surgery is when a doctor needs to help fix something inside your body.
Some kids feel a little nervous when they find out they need surgery, but
we're here to help you so that you'll be all ready for your hospital visit.
On the day of your surgery, you and
your family member will go to Duke Children's Hospital.
They can park their car and the big garage right across the street.
Then you'll come to the Children's Health Center, where you'll stop
by the information desk on the first floor to let us know that you're here.
After that, you'll take the elevators to the third floor,
where you'll find the children's surgical waiting room.
Your family member will help you check in at the desk.
The greeter will ask for your name and birthday.
And we'll give you a bracelet to wear with your name on it.
They will help you find a comfortable place to wait and
show you where you can watch TV, or play with some toys.
You can also bring some of your own things from home, like a favorite teddy bear or
a book to read.
A nurse will bring you and your family member to a getting ready room,
where your nurse and doctors will help you get ready for your surgery.
Your family member can help you change into a hospital gown that feels like soft
pajamas.
Then your nurse will check your weight, temperature, and blood pressure,
and listen to your heart and lungs.
The nurse will put a light up sticker on your finger to measure your breathing.
While you wait to see your doctors in the getting ready room, you can watch TV,
color, or play with some toys.
One of the doctors who you will meet is your surgeon.
The surgeon is the doctor who will help to fix
something inside your body while you are asleep.
Your surgeon will see if you have any questions about your surgery, and
they will have your family members sign some papers.
The other doctor who you will meet is your anesthesiologist.
That's a big word that means a sleep medicine doctor.
Your anesthesiologist job is to help you get your sleep medicine and
to help you stay asleep during your surgery.
There are a couple of different ways to get your sleep medicine but
no matter what, you will be in such a deep sleep that you will not feel, hear or
see anything during your surgery.
Your anesthesiologist will help decide which way you will get your sleep
medicine.
They will also listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope and
have your family members sign some more papers.
You might also meet a child life specialist who can help answer some
of your questions.
The child life specialists can bring you some fun things to play with, and
can even let you choose a favorite smell to put inside your sleep medicine mask.
Some kids breathe medicine through a mask to fall asleep, and
other kids get medicine through a tiny tube called an IV.
For kids who need an IV,
the child life specialist can tell you all about that part too.
We have lots of ways to help keep you comfortable if you do need an IV.
When it's almost time for you to fall asleep,
you can give your family member a big hug and say see you soon, then you'll get to
ride on your bed to the surgery room with a doctor or a nurse to show you the way.
Some kids like to pretend your bed is a race car or a spaceship.
You can even choose a special toy to bring with you on your ride.
In the surgery room, there will be a lot of people keeping you safe and
comfortable.
Everyone will be wearing hats and masks to keep the room extra clean.
You will scoot over from your bed with wheels on to the surgery bed,
while the nurse will help you get comfortable and cosy.
You might notice some big lights up above and
the machine that will help you get your sleep medicine.
One of the hospital helpers will help you put a blood pressure cuff on your arm,
a light up sticker on your finger and some heartbeat stickers on your chest.
None of these things hurt and
they help your doctors keep you safe while you're asleep.
Then it will be time for you to fall asleep.
Your doctor will help you keep the sleep medicine mask over your nose and mouth.
Your job is to take some big deep breaths until you fall asleep.
When your surgery is all done,
you will wake up in a recovery room that we sometimes call the wake up room.
Your family member will be there with you, and
there will be a nurse to help take care of you while you're waking up.
You might feel kind of tired at first and that's okay.
When you're ready, you can have something to drink and a snack if you'd like.
Lots of kids like to have a popsicle when they wake up.
You might notice a bandage on one of your arms.
You'll have an IV or a tiny medicine tube underneath the bandage.
Your nurse can use the IV to give you medicine if you need some, and
they will help take your IV out before you go home.
Once you're feeling more awake and your doctor says you're ready to go home,
you get to ride in a wheelchair with your family members down to your car,
time to go home.
Your doctor might say you need to spend the night in the hospital
after your surgery.
Don't worry, if you need to spend the night,
your family member can stay with you.
You'll have a room with your own bed, a fold out chair where your
family member can sleep and a TV so you can watch your favorite shows.
If you want to you can bring your own pajamas to wear and
some favorite toys or games from home.
Your hospital team will check on you every day and
will help decide when you're all ready to go home.
They will let your family member know if there are any
special instructions you need to follow when you get home.
Now that you've learned a little bit about surgery, we hope you're feeling ready for
your hospital visit.
If you think of any questions, you can always ask a grown up,
like a family member, your doctor, or a child life specialists.
Our Duke Children's team is here to make the hospital a great place for
kids like you.
[MUSIC]