Facebook, Society, and My Son’s Surgery

March 20, 2009

I normally write a cool, useful tech tip to help your online business succeed in some way.

But today, I thought I pull you into the events that transpired this morning. And, true to my nature, there’s an interesting technology tie-in at the end.  :)

Luke in the coolest waiting room ever!

Luke in the coolest waiting room ever!

You see, my 1-year old son Luke had some minor surgery- and is now home recovering safely. While many people have gone through much worse situations… this was the first time for us.

I’m sure it’s always tough for parents to experience these things.

We had a great surgeon and anesthesiologist who took extra time to talk with us and let us know what was going on, before and after.

For any who are interested, here’s the quick synopsis of what happened.

( And since my medical training consists of watching a lot of House, forgive me if I get something wrong):

When infant boys develop, his “family jewels” drop by passing through a thin membrane. This normally seals back up, but sometimes (Luke’s case) it doesn’t completely. A small “leak” exists. While this isn’t immediately dangerous, it can be the root of a lot of future problems (infection, etc). And since it doesn’t fix itself over time, surgery is the best option.

A small incision was made in Luke’s abdomen and 8 (internal) stitches were made to seal this membrane back up. The procedure took about 45 minutes. Since little kids aren’t very good at sitting still, they used anesthesia. We weren’t allowed there when the put the mask on him to put him under… which was probably the toughest part for mom and dad… but the staff at this place were really top notch.

We had our own private waiting room- nice touch for nervous parents who would prefer not to be in a large, crowded room. The doc came back within an hour and told us all went well.

Luke would have a “fairly miserable weekend”, he said, but over the next two weeks he’d be back to normal. his Grandmother, codeine, and some VIP treatment should help him to make it through just fine.

They make those gowns for little kids. Who knew.

They make those gowns for little kids. Who knew.

On another note, I had an interesting perspective on the morning.

Those that know me are aware I’m a recovering techno-geek, and love having my blackberry on my hip. I love technology almost as much as Kip Dynamite.

Many have commented on how society has become more isolated because of this technology- working, shopping, and even socializing is done while individuals are… alone. Behind their computer.

And to some extent I agree this is a concerning trend.

But as we arrived at the children’s surgery clinic, I knew there were friends and family around the country thinking and praying for little Luke. So, while giving him all the attention he could handle, I decided to include our family as we went along with the morning.

Snapping pictures on my phone took one click of a button, sending them out to a family email list was another. And for a third click- I sent them out to my Facebook family. From each picture snapped, to people seeing it on their computers- took about 20 seconds.

And an interesting thing happened. Almost in real time, we got a steady stream of people commenting, offering encouragement, giving us strength, helping us smile. Having all of these friends in the private waiting room was not possible (or even appropriate?) but instead of isolating us… my high-tech device actually brought us closer to the ones we care about… and who care about us.

No place safer than mommy's arms.

No place safer than mommy's arms.

Friends from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Montana, Las Vegas, and all over my home state of Florida… went through this eventful morning with us.

And yes, it did make a difference.

Luke is home sleeping now, and as I’m preparing to get back to work (on my trusty laptop), I think that maybe this world of technology- into which Luke is destined to grow up- isn’t all that bad after all.

Written by Dave · Filed Under Random Thoughts 

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