pre and post op photos

Oscar saying goodbye to Monkey

Oscar in his cot on the way to theatre

Post Op, back in Ward 23. Top to bottom: oxygen supply taped across face (which wasn't required much after about four hours post-op),
the two white dots on wires on his chest are monitoring heart rate (there were also an O2 saturation monitor and respiratory rate monitor),
obviously, the scar!,
beleive it or not the two plastic things in the square plastic bag in the middle are connected to wires which are connected to his heart directly - they are pacing wires in case his heart became irregular or had faltered after closing the chest (electricity, ay!?) - the pacing wires are attached inside the chest cavity during surgery to the outside of the heart with 'very loose stitches' (I know, huh!?), so that they can be removed without having to 'go back in',
Older Kids who have this done - the pacing wires removed while they are awake and conscious but probably on morphine - say it is a weird feeling - no kidding ay?,
he also has lots of pink stains on his skin from the pre-op antiseptic wash,
and under the big plasters just above the sheet are the real gross ones - don't read on if you are squeamish! - they are flexible plastic drain tubes which are placed in his chest cavity during surgery so that any fluid which gathers post-op comes out instead of sitting round and making trouble,
Yes, the flexible plastic drains and the pacing wires are removed viscerally and literally with a bit of a yank - by a nurse! - after the stitches holding them in place on his skin are removed...

And yes, looking a bit groggy!

Reunited with Monkey and sleeping soundly!

Chilling out in the HDU cot

Super Starfush Man returns, albeit with one hand weighted down - its just protection for the i/v line they put in so they could remove all the operation day anaesthetic ones which were in horrible places (important step in recovery), but still give him morphine if required.

Back in his hammock on post op day 2,3 or 4 - tubes and all - cause he wouldn't go to sleep in HDU