Surgery Day

Yay! It's over! Katelyn had her eye surgery this morning and everything went great! She has (or shall I say HAD) strabismus, a lazy left eye that turned out to the side. We first noticed it when she was 18 months old. First, we tried patching to see if that would correct it, but after a year, nothing had changed. Then we tried glasses, with patching and without, but again, no help. So after three years, we decided that surgery is the only option left. I was trying to put it off as long as I could, hoping things would improve, but over time, I realized that it just needed to be done. I didn't want her having vision problems with it and also, she is getting older and was starting to notice that her eye was "different". I know other kids noticed it too and I didn't want her to be teased. I felt peace about it knowing we had tried all the alternatives and that this is what we needed to do. So we went ahead and scheduled the surgery. I was of course nervous knowing she'd be under general anesthesia for the first time, and I was also just worried how things would go, during and after the surgery. She also has a heart defect so that adds another issue to deal with. I knew it was an outpatient, fairly routine surgery, but this was MY baby girl they were operating on! My mama's heart wanted to save her from having to go through this, wishing I could do it for her. I knew I couldn't so I just had to let go and let God take care of her.

Well, surgery morning arrives and Katelyn is her usual happy self, not acting the least bit nervous (unlike her mommy). Actually, I think she was loving all the attention with all the grandparents there. (: She knew this was a big deal but that we'd all be there for her, so I don't think she was scared. She always does so well with any procedure she has to have, whether it's dental work, eye exams or tests done on her heart. She is such an easy going child for which I am thankful.

So we head off to the center and get checked in. When we got to her bed, there was a big seahorse shaped balloon attached and I thought that was really nice. It made it look not so "hospital-y". (: She hops right up on the bed and let the nurse do all the prep work. She took the sedating meds fine and just laid back and relaxed (Chris and I joked we'd like some of that stuff somedays!). LOL! Within 15 mins she was pretty much zoned. She could respond but she was VERY relaxed. (: The doctors came and talked to us and then it was time to go! Chris was able to go back with her while they gave her the anesthesia but he said she was out within 30 seconds and didn't put up a fight at all. In the waiting room, we visited with my dad and Chris' parents- my mom was home with the boys (thank you everyone for supporting us today!!) but I couldn't stop thinking about my little girl. She is so precious to me and I am so proud of her. I knew she was in God's hands but it was hard to let go. I just kept thinking that He had brought her through so much already, that He'd get us through this too. Well, only an hour later the doctor came out and told us the surgery was a success. She did great and was starting to wake up. A few minutes later we were able to go back and see her. When we did, she still groggy and she was crying. She said her eye itched but of course she couldn't itch it. She actually didn't have a patch on but the eye didn't look bad at all, not even swollen. It took a little while for her to calm down, but they said most kids go through a "delirious" stage when coming out of anesthesia. She started to calm down when we talked about having a popsicle and going home. (; So after a cherry popsicle, she was ready to go! They said everything looked good, so only an hour after surgery, she went home! We were only there for three hours total.

Back at home, she has been resting on the couch all day. They said she would probably sleep the rest of the day. She has had a little to eat and drink so we are just letting her rest. It doesn't seem like she is in any pain! Thank you Jesus! He is so good to us. I am constantly awed by his mercy and love for me and my family. I give Him the glory for Katelyn's complete healing today!