Pre and Post Eye Surgery

Jared's pre-admit phone interview was to be done 2 weeks before surgery. I left the message with all info including our phone number (and a second message with my work number). When the 2 weeks were up and I hadn't heard I called. I was told they like calling the week before. OK so they really shouldn't tell people 2 weeks and then do it a week before.

Well the Wednesday before his surgery I called again since I still hadn't heard. She informed me she had called work and gave a phone number as our home phone that she called. Well, that number was our phone number about a YEAR ago! I informed her that was NOT the number I had left with her. So she asked for our number and I thought corrected it.

This means that our family Dr's office never changed our number when I asked them too. Just like they didn't change our address when I asked them to (we moved when I was 3 months pregnant with Jared) and when he was about 6 months old I received a new health card for him with our old address. The ministry told me that was the address our Dr's office supplied. Just new health cards for the kids...not for Gerald or I - so that means they changed our address and not the kids. Anyways not too impressed with the family Dr's office right now.

We had to get up bright and early for pre-admit (where we changed our phone number with them again). The surgery went well. He whimpered when they put the rail up (which would be scary a huge stainless steel crib!) When we were taken to the waiting room someone walked through another set of doors towards the OR and we saw him again he was standing in the crib while they rolled it down the hall. He wasn't fussing or anything. The Dr came to speak to us after the surgery and said it went well and he would give a call and Saturday (another story there). The post-op nurse said he has a great temperament because most kids are fussing before they give them anesthetic and are quite angry when they wake up in the recovery room. He was fine when we came in she was picking him up and he wasn't crying or anything. After he drank 4 oz of diluted apple juice there they took us to the paed post op area. There he was a bit more squirmy and a little fussy. Turned out he just wanted to sit with his dad. He was really tired but there were too many strange noises and he kept rousing. He wanted to walk around and he was a bit too wobbly at first so we got him some toys. We had to wait about 2 hours after he woke up before we could take him home because they had put a tube down his throat when he was under and since babies airways are so small they wanted to make sure he didn't have any breathing problems. He downed a bottle of milk and started drinking water too. He didn't spit up at all (which can happen after anesthetic) which was good. The Dr came again to see us and Jared in the Paed post op as well.

When we got home Jared was sleeping. I woke him up at 3pm. When awake he was his usual self. His eye is swollen and blood shot but so far no bruising on his face.

Then around 5pm we took a spur of the moment trip to Burlington. The 52" RCA I got for free didn't match for parts with our other RCA so Gerald looked it up online and the part for the TV is a $30 part. There was a store in Burlington who had one in stock. After that we gave Kathryn and Shane a call and went for a visit. It was a nice break for a long drive and a long evening.

We got home and Gerald fixed the TV. So we know have a big screen TV that works. (Wonder how much hydro it's going to suck!)

Anyways, the Dr said he would call before noon on Saturday to see how Jared was doing. We left for Chatham at 2:30 (first of many Christmas parties) and realized that he didn't call. So I am going to guess his office had the wrong phone number too! Since Jared is fine I don't think it matters too much. His post op appointment with the Dr is this Thursday anyways.

For those wondering what they did to Jared. Since his eye turned in they loosened the muscles on the inside of his eye and tightened the muscles on the outside. Gerald liked to tell people that they take his eye out and put it back in but that's not true.
I found a link for what they actually do
http://queens-ca.sitepreview.ca/Strabismussurgery.asp

His eye already appears straighter although it will take some time to know the effectiveness of the surgery 100%. I have noticed that his depth perception is off. He tries to grab for items about 2-3" in front of the item. It was worse the day of and after the Surgery. Today, it's not as noticeable.

Jared has antibiotic eye drops that he needs 2x a day. Since it's hard to get drops in his eyes I just drop a lot in and if they happen to get in his other eye it shouldn't hurt it (unlike when he had atropine...that was important to not get it in both because it would defeat the purpose of putting it in!)

He doesn't really have any restrictions. Just not to be outside so dust doesn't get in his eyes. And no swimming for a few days - but I think we won't have a problem with that one.

Well its time I go put in the eye drops (he's sleeping).