Eye Surgery Update

Hello everyone,

Right in the middle of my timed Medical Terminology final, I got a phone call from Dr. Heichel's assistant at Shiley Eye Center.  They spoke to Kate's cardiologist and it was decided that the surgery should take place at Rady Children's Hospital. The surgery date is currently unknown. I will post when I hear something.

I think this is a good thing.  I was trying to give her medical history to the RN at Shiley and I just cannot spew out that much information in a coherent way.  The Dr.'s should have access to her medical records at Children's which is nice. And just in case, it's a full scale hospital.  There won't be a just in case, but still. Just in case.

Off to La Quinta Resort tomorrow to bake and swim. Have a fun Labor Day weekend everyone.


*Aced my final, by the way.  Yay for the little stuff.

Eye Surgery Date Change

Eye Test

 New Surgery date is September 11th. I changed it because we have an early entry reservation to CA Adventure on Saturday the 8th, and yes, getting in to ride the new Cars Land rides before the crowds will be worth it.  I completely forgot about it when I scheduled the first surgery date. Fun before surgery as often as possible.

 

 Today Kate and I went to Shiley Eye Center for her pre-op appointment. We got there are 10, and left about 12:30.  They actually shuttled us to the first room pretty quickly, but then the inevitable stall out. They took Kate's vital signs and then we spoke with a pre-op nurse who gave Kate her own little bag to bring back to surgery. It was full of prescriptions that I need to go fill a few days before surgery.  She has to have antibiotic drops in her eyes every day for a few days before surgery. The nurse also attached a coupon for each prescription. Can't wait to see how much they cost me.


We then took a little tour to the surgery floor and recovery room where Kate immediately decided that surgery had once seemed like a good idea, but was no longer on her to do list. The anesthesiologist came out and talked to us, aka. me, because Kate had clammed up and was being rather serious about this no surgery thing.

The ever famous snack stand at Shiley

Right now she is scheduled to have surgery in the Shiley center, but given her distended aorta, the surgery may be moved to a hospital. We will find out a few days before surgery. They are going to be talking to her cardiologist to OK the surgery. Always a chance we will have to see him before surgery as well.

After the tour we were sent back down to get Kate an EKG and have her eyes measured. The EKG was fine, she is a pro, but she hates those sticky pads like no other. It took a lot of alcohol wipes and patience to get them off without her screaming bloody murder.

And then we sat, long enough for me to really start thinking. That is never good. For months I have been saying how I can't wait for this surgery, for Kate's eyesight to be improved. But at that moment, all I could think about was what if it doesn't go well and she ends up blind. I wanted to find her Dr. and ask him about the odds. Then, of course, I had this whole discussion with him in my head.  He couldn't possibly say that everything was going to be fine, they never say it in those words, lawsuits I suppose. So, in my head of course, I started yelling, "but are the odds in our favor?" And then I started thinking about Hunger Games and conversation started sounding like a movie. Thank goodness they came to get us for her last eye test. After we got that done, we were out of there. I was feeling rather guilty about the whole sticky pad moment so we hit the snack shack and ditched the rest of the school day.  HA! I know you wish I were your mother. :)

This weekend we are heading to the desert, to swim, get hot, swim, get hot, and repeat until Monday.

Eye Surgery and Physical Therapy

Kate went back to Shiley Eye Center on August 10th to have her retina's checked by Dr Goldbaum.  She needed to to have her retina's given the go ahead before we proceed with surgery on her lenses. People with Marfans Syndrome are at risk for retinal detachment. The hits just keep coming. Actually, I wish the hits would please stop. No more issues.



Miss Kate had to get her eyes dilated again. The only respite was knowing that after you get dilated, you get to go to the snack cart outside. She chose Doritos, as you can see on her lap.  She digs the shades when things get too bright.

 Kate has her pre-op appointment with Dr Heichel, the surgeon who will perform her lens replacement. That had first told us that she would have her eyes done separately, a couple weeks apart at a time. Now, because she has to go under general anesthesia, the Dr has decided to do both eyes at once.  I'm quite happy with that decision. She will wear plastic lenses over her eyes to keep her from touching them for 24 hours then every night for a week or so.

Surgery is scheduled for September 5th.

Kate is doing pretty well, but she still has some muscle weakness. She is going to physical therapy a few more times to try and build up her strength. I know this picture is small, but she is smiling so cute, I couldn't help but put it up.

School starts tomorrow, 3rd grade! Noah is starting middle school, and Abby is starting high school.  So wrong.