5:30 am is EARLY...

But the traffic is great! 5:30 is the time we had to be at Arkansas Children's Hospital to check-in for Reese's eye surgery. (BTW-this is the mom posting!)
I think we were all apprehensive about this surgery. I didn't realize how much until I got almost no sleep last night. Of course, I was sleeping when the alarm went off. Reese's outfit of choice for heading to the hospital? Footed pj's. You have to love her sense of style (and comfort).

Reese has apparently acquired a small fan club in  ambulatory surgery. I happened to think today-there are probably a lot of one-time patients there, and a smaller group of kids they see on a regular basis. She has been there three times in the last four months. We walk in with the attitude of WE HAVE GOT THIS! Different doctor today, so we had to re-visit the whole anesthesia thing. I go back with her each time to the OR, stay until she is good and asleep, and then kiss her and leave. It's SO much easier than kissing her at the door, and watching her go down the hall. We make a game of how high I count until she is asleep, and how high she remembers me counting. Today I made it to 34 (34!!) before I was sure she was good and sleeping. We usually barely have time to run to the bathroom, before they are done with her laser, but this was glaucoma surgery, so it took longer, and we each had time to run to the cafeteria for a bite of breakfast before she was out of surgery. The doctor was happy with the result of surgery (her pressure was at a TWENTY!) but as always, pain relief is our biggest hurdle. She usually gets fentanyl in the OR, and then Morphine (1 mg x 3) in her IV before we get out of PACU. Today, she got fentanyl in the OR, and all total in PACU, and the step-down: 5 mg of morphine. I sent James to get her prescription of Tylenol #3 filled while we waited out the last post-morphine hour (they keep one hour after the last dose, so they can monitor vitals). We gave her a dose before we headed home.

Before surgery she had requested 3 egg rolls and egg drop soup from Go-Go China on University. Post-op her focus was, "I wanna go HOME!" So Monica and Joseph made a run to Mr. Chen's and brought home take-out for her. We did get home around 2, so a really long day for her. A nap was on the agenda. We are hopeful for a restful night. James has to take her to the eye doctor tomorrow for a post-op appointment. If I had realized they had that, I might have tried to take off work. They will be taking off the bandages and putting in a BIG protective contact. Not looking forward to that for her.

I am amazed at the resilience of children. Often, whatever anxiety she is feeling settles as soon as we leave the hospital. There is a fine line we have to walk to be released; we don't want to leave with her in too much discomfort, but it seems to help just knowing she is heading for home. We are hoping for a speedy recovery, for many reasons, but for her part-she is focused on dancing at the Southern Region Oireachtas in New Orleans November 30th-Dec. 1st. She has practiced so much the last few months. She is having to miss a competition this weekend (she is going-just not dancing), and that really disappointed her. This surgery was too important to postpone. In the back of my mind I keep thinking, next year we will be doing this with two girls. Laser treatments, glaucoma treatments...

One other bit of news-we are meeting with the social worker this weekend in Fayetteville. I was planning on being further along with paperwork...but it looks like I will be spending my Veterans Day working on it. So excited!

Thanks to everyone who has donated to our puzzle-piece fundraiser, and our silent auction, and who purchased Tupperware, and who have outright donated money towards Ana-Cherie coming home. Monica has worked so hard on the fundraising part and I appreciate her efforts! She is doing a great job.