Good Good Friday

This morning everything started off as expected. You and I arrived on time, checked in, answered questions about your medical history, met with anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners and the surgeon. The process took about two and a half hours, with most of that being wait time but we didn't mind. I held you while reading a book so that I could drop kisses on your face every couple minutes. You were perfectly happy to have all my attention for the morning. And I was happy to have some quiet. As the team was about to take you away, Dr C reminded me that he was fully prepared to do surgery based on her history, but that after you went under and measurements were taken he would come out to confirm permission to make the cuts.

He and I were both very surprised when Dr C came back out 40 minutes later to tell me your pressures looked great! Well, you know, great for you. You definitely have glaucoma but the drops are doing their job and no shunts were needed today. More importantly your optic nerve is stable which is terrific news for the vision you have remaining. This is a huge gift--as if we didn't have enough to be thankful for on this Good Friday.

In recovery you woke up like a champ, but as always I had to convince the nurses.  When I walked up I was told, "She is still sleeping."  You weren't. When you heard my voice and turned your head a bit and put your hand to your mouth to say "Mama" I told them you were feeling fine. 20 minutes later you were "talking" and had a tight grip on my fingers and another nurse said we could go home when you woke up a little more. "Well, this is as awake as she gets. If we wait too much longer she will fall back asleep." When it became clear to them this was your usual, they set us free. We picked up Daddy from work and brought home Crave Cupcakes to celebrate. Then you and I took a long nap.

I am very proud of you shnook. And praising Jesus that 2000 years after his death he is still performing miracles.

Day Surgery

Tomorrow we report to TCH at 7am for an exam under anesthesia for your glaucoma  It's pretty routine stuff, we've done it half a dozen times before. They will put you under, check your eye pressures, and then hopefully pull you back out.  We could be home by noon.

Unless...

...the doctor doesn't like what he sees. And if you are trending in the same direction you have been that might be the case. From infancy you were on one drop per eye each day. After about a year we bumped it to the same drop twice a day. Last year we added a whole different drop in addition to the other one.  If the exam tomorrow shows your pressures are still on the rise, they may go ahead and place a shunt in each eye.  It's been a few years since we seriously discussed that possibility, so my understanding of the process is far from complete. I'm about to do a little research before heading to bed.

Your sight is so fragile--any surgery to your eyes gives me good reason to be concerned. But if your pressures are high, there isn't much alternative. Glaucoma left untreated will result in certain blindness.

You, my sweet one, sleep well. Tonight we pray that our trip to the hospital tomorrow will be a short, uneventful one and we can get home early to begin our Easter weekend celebration!