Jackson gets Twisted...

September 26th:

Jackson had been complaining of pain in his hip for about 3 days, but he wasn't sure what he had done to it, so we treated it with Tylenol and attributed to growing.  It persisted, (it got bad enough that he was sent to the office at school... twice) and he seemed to be getting worse, so I finally got him in to see our dr. at about 3:00 pm on the 26th.  After a few minutes with him he told us we needed to get an ultrasound immediately!  So we were off getting an ultrasound by 4:00 pm. After that we headed straight back to our doctors office to find out results.  He told us we needed to go to the ER and see a pediatric urologist right away.  The poor kid had a twisted testicle or testicular torsion. :/   So by 5:30 we were headed to the ER. :/  We got in and seen and did another ultrasound and by 8:00 or 8:30 pm they had decided he needed to have emergency surgery.

They don't know what caused it, it's not very common in an 8 year old kiddo.  It can be caused by trauma or nothing at all.  And usually when it happens, the testicle dies and has to be removed.  When the surgeon came to talk to us before they took him in, he basically told us he was expecting that to be the outcome. :( Talk about parent guilt!  We had been telling him he needed to walk it off for days!  He even went to basketball practice!  Oops!

He was a trooper and did SO well, even though he was really scared and in a lot of pain!  I felt so bad, the first time he heard someone say the word "surgery" his eyes almost popped out of his head.  He immediately started to panic.  But we talked about him needing the doctors help and he decided he could be brave.  :) 

Pre-Op. Thankful for good friends, insurance, morphine, and priesthood blessings.  Kerri came to stay with the kids so Patrick (and Mike) could get to the hospital and give him a blessing before he went in to surgery. 

The pre-op drugs made him SO giggly!  It was hilarious!  When they were wheeling him off he was laughing hysterically and then stopped suddenly with a surprised look on his face and announced "I think I peed!" and then continued to laugh hysterically!  hahaha.  He had the doctors and nurses crying they were laughing so hard as they rolled him to surgery.

"Waiting in recovery. Surgery was a success! Thank you Kerri Elam and Mike Christensen for your help last night....

I must say though, it is rather embarrassing when you've been awake for 24 hours and finally fall asleep, but the doctor comes in 2 hours later at 6 am and wakes you up. Especially when you think the doctor is your beautiful wife telling you to go get your baby because It's your turn and you tell her, "YOU go get him. He doesn't like me." Gotta love sleep dep."  Patrick (He stayed with him through the night.) 
 

Fortunately, surgery did go well, he got to keep all his parts, and everything is now where it is supposed to be! He is feeling much better!! He got to come home that day! (Sept. 27th) 

  
...And now he'll always have a funny story about how he almost lost a nut when he was 8!  ;)