Everyone here has great advice here. One thing I was told by doctors and nurses while my son was in for his broken leg is that children tend to UNDER report their pain and actually wait longer to ask for meds. We had to make sure that we kept track of the time to request it every 3-4 hours because he didn't always do it. Our nurses were GREAT. We were lucky because we were in the pediatric unit of a local hospital. Some days there was another child in this wing, others he was alone. The nurses had extra time to help. That is not always the case. Make sure he asks for meds before the pain gets ahead of him. I was relieved to see that the nurses were more anxious to get him meds ontime. Also, the doctor told us not to worry about how much he was taking. First morphine, then percocet, now tylenol 3, maybe 1 every two days. Because the pain will lessen over time.

Being a patient advocate is a very important roll for family to take. My son was not left alone in the hospital for the week he was there. I spent days in hospital, my husband at night. This way I could stay with my three others at night and get them off to school in the mornig. They did provide a bed for him. Also, you being there frees their duties up tremendously. This happened around thanksgiving and my 5 yearb olds birthday so I brought the nurses cakes and cookies almost everyday. Bribery will get you everywhere!!

Your son, and you will be in my prayers. My son's surgery is 1/28 to remove the pins in his leg, How about we swap prayers????
thanks, Linda