The day before Cate’s surgery was a day off from appointments and John Paul’s 14th birthday. We went to the movies & dinner to celebrate. The closest theatre is also a hip retro theatre that serves alcohol, including craft beers, and has a club of supporters who choose a weekly theme for shows. The week’s theme was early Tom Cruise movies (or as they put it “Tom Cruise before Oprah’s Couch- YouTube it if you’re curious, we did). The afternoon show was his fantasy flop “Legend.” JP decided that although he enjoys fantasy books, he does not like fantasy movies. It was just funny for me to see TC so young again. We were lucky and won a dinner gift certificate from RMcDH for the night. Just one of the many extra, fun things they set up for guests to try to make a stressful experience more tolerable, even somewhat joyful for families. Our dinner was at a great Italian restaurant in the Station Square area with red-checkered tablecloths and served family style. Our
$30 appetizer and incredible tiramisu dessert were included and it was still a family oriented enough place that the wait staff sang “Happy Birthday” to JP.
Anyway, Cate’s surgery- an EUA (Exam Under Anesthesia) & Lensectomy+Reconstruction
Her surgery was on Holy Thursday. JP was allowed to come back to get her ready with me. We ended up giving her the dilation drops in her eyes because she would relax with us rather than scream and squeeze her eyes tightly shut as she did for the nurse and anesthesia resident. The anesthesiologist was a Texan and proud to tell us so. It took about two hours once she left us. We tracked her from pre-op to surgery to recovery by a number on the waiting room monitors. When we reached close to two hours, I started feeling stressed but just then a surgical liaison came out to tell us things were fine and wrapping up. One of the best things about this hospital was is their constant, effective communication with patients. Our esteemed doctor came just behind her. He said it took longer than he expected as well because things weren’t quite as easy as he’d hoped but had ultimately gone well. Her L eye looked good under exam. He had seen the posterior part of both eyes for the first time and found additional malformation in her R posterior eye. Her optic nerve didn’t form properly. This means her chances of good/normal vision in that eye, even repaired, are greatly decreased to probably 20/100–20/200. He removed her lens, cut the vessels that needed to retract, and had to work her cornea back in place. It didn’t move back on its own like the iris. For this reason, she’ll have more corneal clouding before it clears. Her pupil looked good and did not have to be enlarged as expected. He told us that had she been left another few weeks, the pressure in that eye would have caused her to lose her vision and likely the eye.
She took another hour to wake up, nursed on one side, then fell asleep before finally nursing on the other. The doctor had warned us she’d be sore and grumpy and she was until getting more Tylenol, which we kept in her all that night and the next day as well. Thanks to residual anesthesia she slept all night. Her check up the next morning, Good Friday, went well. A Fellow under our esteemed doctor came in and commented on how unique and interesting her case is. They took off the pad & shield from surgery, examined her eye, and gave her her first drops. She has three types and gets some as many as four times a day. I requested another shield when they asked because she had been rubbing her eye/head on our shoulders the night after the procedure. The doctor said he wants to monitor her through Friday, to watch for infection, retinal detachment, etc. and may need to perform another procedure but probably not.
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