As the first week of school comes to an end, we have had a steep learning curve. I want to offer the tips we learned and to help you know what to think about before you send your kiddo back to school post-op.
First, think about school bus riding. This was a restriction I placed on G right away. I dropped off and picked up each day this week to eliminate any extra bouncing and roughness. I was also concerned with the elongated day if she were to ride the bus.
Secondly, be aware of their noise sensitivity. We had thought about it in terms of home life, but didn't dawn on me to plan for the noisiness of school. Fire and tornado drills were discussed at my school meeting prior to school. But, HELLO, what about the lunch room, you know, the nosiest place in school, and possibly the planet? I had to come visit the school after G's lunch on the first day because the elevated level of noise in the lunch room caused a level 6 headache. The headache resolved with rest and she was able to return to class. Our long term solution is still being worked out. I bought a custom ear plug kit from Amazon (link here), and the mold itself worked well, but I don't think I have the skill to successfully produce usable ear plugs. Once at school, she could not insert them into her ear, and neither could the nurse. I have enough to try one more set, but if those do not work, we may need to go the professional route.
Thirdly, the bright sun during recess caused a headache for G during her first day. This had not been a problem before school, but I have noticed that she has been closing her eyes on her way home due to the bright light. I am not sure what to make of this. Our resolution was to leave a pair of sunglasses at school for times she is outside. She is currently enjoying quiet recess inside with a buddy, so she is not routinely outdoors during the school day.
Fourth, The collared shirt, oh the collared shirt. I am still running for mother of the year since I placed my newly decompressed 7yo in a nice collared shirt for her second day of school. It didn't even cross my mind that the collar would rub the bottom portion of the incision. So, back to school I went with a backup shirt. As a side note, I obviously do not learn quickly, because the shirt I laid out for the last day school... You guessed it, another collared shirt. I do wonder about my sanity sometimes. Luckily G caught it. :)
Fifth, Be open minded about their desk. G's school supplied a type of tilted area on her desk to elevate her work so she would not need to look down and cause a kink in her neck. After her first day, it was obvious that it was not elevated enough. I sent in the laptop desk from Amazon (link here) that was working well at home. This allows it to be positioned at, pretty much, any angle and height required. We are going to try this for about 5 school days, and if it continues to work as well as it does, then we will buy a second one for home.
All in all, the first week has gone well. I am super glad that it was a shortened week! G was picked up early one day due to a level 6 headache with dizziness that was not resolving. But the other times I have been called to the school, we determined that she could return to class. The school nurse has been wonderful about contacting me each time G visits the nurse's office. She is averaging 4 trips to the office and 1 dose of Tylenol per day. Most headaches are relieved by resting and an occasional dose of Tylenol.
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