PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR SURGERY

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnpV-0a4S8


Preparing a child for surgery is one of the most important things a
parent can do when the child needs an operation. Proper preparation can
alleviate fears and decrease anxiety for both the parent and child.

"No matter what type of surgery the child is having, every child should
be prepared and age appropriately educated. Nothing should come as a
surprise to them," said Linda McAlister, director of Surgical Services
at Children's South.

Parents can begin by making sure they understand the procedure the child
is having, if and how the child will be anesthetized as well as the risk
involved. If you are uncertain, it is okay to seek clarification.
McAllister also suggested:
* Communicate with your care provider. Good communication with
your healthcare provider builds confidence, and a confident parent is a
calm parent. If your children see that their parents are calm, it puts
them at ease as well.
* Make sure you take good care of yourself by eating well and
getting plenty of rest. Surround yourself with a strong support group;
don't be afraid to ask family and friends for help.

There are also several things that caregivers need to keep in mind when
helping their child adjust before and after a procedure, depending on
the age of the patient. The experts at Children's Hospital offer these
tips to better plan for a surgery:

Infants and Toddlers

* After surgery, infants and toddlers need lots of nurturing and
consoling. They are in a different environment, they haven't had
anything to eat or drink prior their surgery and they feel strange from
the anesthesia.
* This age group is generally fussy after a procedure and
sometimes can't verbalize why. For this reason, be sure to administer
the pain medication as the doctor advised you.

Preschool

When children reach preschool, they have a great deal of fear associated
with having surgery. They are afraid of being separated from their
parents and afraid of pain.

* Assure your child that you will be nearby the entire time, they
will have medicine to help the pain and the surgery is to make them
better, not hurt them.
* Preschoolers are comforted by familiar objects. Let them bring
their favorite blanket or stuffed animal to the hospital with them.

After surgery, preschoolers tend to be irritable and require a great
deal of patience from mom and dad. Generally, once their pain is under
control, they are ready to play.

School Age:

The school age child is old enough to understand more of what is going
to happen, yet they still experience a significant amount of anxiety and
fear. The difference is that these children tend to keep their concerns
to themselves.

* Anticipate these feelings and reassure your child with open,
honest communication
* Language choice is also very important. Avoid phrases such as
being "put to sleep" or "they will give you gas." To a child, these
phrases mean very different things than what you may intend. Instead,
explain to them that they will go to sleep, they will not wake up during
the surgery, but they will wake up right after it is over.
* Don't tell your child it is not going to hurt. Tell them, "it
may hurt just a little, but the nurse will give you medicine to make you
feel better."

After surgery, remember your child may not verbalize his concerns, so
reassure him he will get better every day. Encourage visits, when
appropriate, from friends and loved ones.

Adolescent:

The Adolescent child's main fears include the fear of dying and/or
becoming disfigured as a result of their surgery. They also fear a loss
of control.

* This age group needs a thorough explanation of what will be
happening to them, and they need to have the opportunity to ask
questions and discuss their procedure and concerns with their doctor.
* Allowing them to bring personal electronics and other items of
distraction will help them deal with their stress more effectively.
* After surgery, this age group may deny they are in pain or deny
symptoms of complications in order to remain in control or avoid
embarrassment. Look for nonverbal cues that something may be wrong, and
reassure them of the importance of letting you know what they are
feeling.

Last year, more than 7,000 children had surgery at Children's South, and
the facility performs approximately 30 surgeries each day. Children's
South provides the following services: ENT, Ophthalmology, Dental, GU,
Orthopedics, Pediatric GYN and Plastic Surgery.

For more information on this and other children's health and safety
issues, please visit our website at www.chsys.org
.

Verbena High School Guidance Website

For students or parents who may be interested in checking out the high school guidance website for Verbena High School, the website address is http://sites.google.com/site/verbenahighschool/Home/guidance.

Test Taking Tips

Here are some tips to help when taking tests. Tests make some kids very nervous, even though they know the answers. Today, some standardized tests are mandatory to advance to the next grade. This puts even more pressure on a child. But whether it is a child or an adult, there is something about the quiet, the white paper and blank spaces, the number two pencil and the ticking of the clock that makes our heart race, our palms sweat and our minds draw a blank! So, we all need all the help we can get. The following tips may help the test taker reach his/her maximum potential when taking a test.


1-The night before, get a good night's sleep. Go to bed early. You will perform better if you are wide awake and well rested (so will your brain!)


2-Eat a good breakfast, don't skip it! You wouldn't drive your car with no gasoline. Food is brain power! And if you get hungry during the test, it will be harder for you to concentrate.


3-Listen to or read ALL of the directions BEFORE starting. It won't matter if you get the answer correct, if you didn't do it in the manner the directions stated.


4-Take a deep breath and focus, put everything else out of your mind. Take ONE question at a time, so you don't feel overwhelmed.


5-Work the questions in order. If you come to one you don't know the answer to, then skip it and you can come back to it if you have time. Don't spend too long on it, if you don't know it right away or within a few seconds. Try to make it flow, don't spend too much time on one question.


6-Read the entire question and all of the answers BEFORE you answer. Especially if it says pick all of the correct answers, the BEST answer or one of the answers is "all of the above". These are sort of tricky.


7-Don't be afraid to guess. If you have a feeling that you know the right answer, then use your instinct. Chances are, you are right. And it is better than leaving it blank!


8-Relax. Have confidence in your ability and what you have learned and studied!


9-Use process of elimination. If you don't know the correct answer right away or, you are torn between two answers, then eliminate the ones that you know definitely are NOT the answer, then work your way back.


10-Pay close attention to wording. Some words like NO, NOT, NEVER, and ALWAYS, can change the whole meaning to the question.

This article was downloaded from www.essortment.com/ten-test-taking-tips-39807.html.

Spring Tests

Schools throughout Alabama, including Chilton County schools, will be giving several standardized tests beginning the week after spring break. The schedule for the tests is as follows:
March 23 - ARMT Reading (grades 3-6)
March 24 - ARMT Math (grades 3-6)
March 28 - SAT Reading (grades 3-6 and also Word Study for 3rd grade)
March 29 - SAT Math (grades 3-6)
April 5 - Alabama Science Assessment (grades 5 and 7)

Please help your children to be prepared for these tests. The next article on the Red Devil Hot Line is about test taking tips that could be very beneficial.