Eye Surgery: "Jason did extremely well."

We were up at 5:15 to head for WR and cosmetic eye surgery for Jason's right eye. The MD's planned on cutting and shaping two muscles in the right eye to hold it in place so that Jason would "look at you." Jason sees minimally in the right eye. I stayed with him through the two hours of waiting time. Jason's surgery was scheduled for 8 AM but he needed to be ready by 6 AM because sometimes a surgery is cancelled and Jason would then become first on the list. Jason finished his book, "Peace Kills" and put his head in his left hand and tried to sleep. Around 8 AM we and two other patients were escorted to the fourth floor surgery and into the pre-op room. I missed the anesthetist's name but he was very good in explaining what he was doing and why and how he would do it. He assured Jason he would not "vomit after surgery." He gave Jason three anti-nausea medicines including Zoloft which Ginger Williams had recommended months ago.

The Doc's thought the surgery might last up to two hours so I headed off to do chores. When I got back about 10:30 as Jason went in about 9 I figured I had arrived early. The Red Cross volunteer at the desk said, "The MD was just in and is looking for you." As I had missed him she called the PACU and asked for him. In a moment Dr. Donnelly appeared and said, "Jason did extremely well. We thought we might have to cut this muscle and that muscle. We only cut the bottom muscle which was very constricted and Jason's eye looked straight ahead." The MD was very pleased at the surgery results.

I waited for Jason for another hour as he recoved in PACU (patient after care unit), then he was brought out sitting up on a guerney. I said, "How are you doing?" "Tired and my eye hurts" was his reply. We headed up to the 6th floor and "short stay unit."

Jason was sat down in a chair and given "We need
1. You need to eat without being nauseated; and we need
2. You to urinate. Jason had refused my offer of a diet coke as I thought this might help him urinate. When he heard it from the RN, Jason said, "Mom, give me the diet coke" remember he hadn't eaten or drank anything since 10 PM Wednesday. I went downstairs to the first floor to get Jason a wheel chair as I wasn't taking chances. When I returned, Jason was coming out of the restroom. :-).

Jason wore his beige hospital pajama pants back to Mologne and was so happy to have them, "They are SO comfortable." I had Jason sit in the wheelchair and headed to Mologne as I have had him fall down after surgery when he had his wisdom teeth out. We had to go up a small hill and wouldn't you know it, I almost lost Jason again. He is a big guy. With him in the wheel chair it started to turn down when I wanted it to go up the hill. "MOM, let me walk and you can walk along side me." So Jason did okay walking up the hill and into the back stairwell of Mologne House.

When Jason got back to the room, he asked for two percacet (pain control); asked that I close the blinds and fell asleep almost immediately. I headed off for lunch and to work on catching up with the blog. I got back about 4 and was so tired I couldn't think straight as I hadn't slept well Wednesday night. I said, "Jason, I need to take a nap," he said, "Okay" and we both fell to sleep till about 6 PM.

Martha who is back from Hawaii and taking care of her mother called to offer dinner and a visit. (Martha's mother will return to MN when she able to travel without a ventilator, hopefully by the end of the month.) Jason who had been craving pizza all day, not having eaten since yesterday evening, was quick to say "Yes." Martha arrived about 7:30 and we shared an excellent vegetarian and a sausage and cheese pizza (for Jason) who ate almost the whole thing. Martha and Jason had a good ethics discussion, Martha was an ethics prof for the Air Force, centering on the decision for child support amongst the couple that had agreed "no children" and then had one. They were not married, the case has been in the news. Martha proposed that a father in our culture was obligated to pay child support. Jason says he still has not decided.

Martha who has been a wonderful nurse and friend for Jason says her dad doesn't think she can "nurse." He sees her as a "Professor." Martha said, "I used you Jason as an example of my 'hands on nursing skills'" to try to persuade her dad that she knew what she was doing in taking care of her mom. Martha said that helping us with Jason and the round the clock care he needed prepared her for providing the same care for her mother in Hawaii. She was thankful for meeting Jason now on behalf of her mother. God's blessings continue for all who love. May God bless each of you and may you have a wonderful weekend of spring.

Jodi is coming to visit Jason tomorrow for the weekend so I will be away visiting with the Sisolaks on Capitol Hill. We plan on going to a concert and an art exhibit.