Cataracts round 1

Ruby's 1st cataract surgery went so much better than we expected!  We met with the surgeon on Tuesday to discuss the details and decided because of her past with her laryngeal cleft surgeries and her tracheomalacia, he would do it at PCH instead of the surgery center just in case there were problems and she needed to spend the night.  I had a bag packed and assumed we would be getting a room, but because they weren't operating on her throat, she did amazing.  No problems whatsoever!  We got to come home about an hour after she got out of surgery.  We were so shocked, it almost didn't seem real.

 

We were scheduled to check in at 6 AM with about an 1.5 hour surgery at 7:30.  On Tuesday, we went into our consultation with no intention of having an IOL (intraocular lens or permanent lens) put into place replacing the lens with the cataract he was taking out.  I read a lot on them and decided it would be better after she were a bit older and her eye was fully grown (maybe reading or school age).  With that said, we would have to have super thick lenses in her glasses and/or contact lenses.  The thought of putting contact lenses in my baby and keeping track of them seemed like a nightmare to me.  I have never worn glasses or lenses, so it is all foreign to me.  I tried in college for 2 hours to get a pair of colored non-prescription lenses in my eye, without success.  That flashback went through my mind and I didn't think I'd be able to do it....but I would figure it out, just like I did the NG tube.  So at the appt.  his assistant asked why we weren't doing permanent lenses.  She said if her child had to have the surgery, there is no doubt she'd get permanent lenses.  Dr. O'Neil is one of the only surgeons that will do them in babies.  After discussing it, we decided to do them, if she did well in surgery.  Dr. O'Neil said if there was any issue with her breathing he would not put them in.  She did great, so he put the first one in. Ruby will still wear glasses because he under corrects the lens so that her eye has room to grow and develop, but it's hard to predict and be exact...but her glasses will be a slight prescription vs. super thick lenses. 

 

I can't believe how easy the recovery has been also.  NOTHING like the laryngeal cleft.  Ruby hasn't been uncomfortable at all.  We have to do a million and a half drops a day and she wears a little metal patch while we aren't holding her, but that is it.  When the patch is off, she'll open her eye a bit, not as easily or as much as the right, but I am guessing that will change.

 

Next Wednesday is her right eye....let's pray for the same recovery!  Then it's time to pick out some frames.  As excited as I am to have these surgeries done and to get her glasses so that she can see...I am searching on line for cute frames for a 3 month old.  Not very many choices...So many cute ones for older toddlers/kids...but infants, bleh!  I am going to need some help with that!

 

 

 Daddy giving a little pep talk before surgery.

 Just got home and slept all day!

 1st smiles the next morning!

Henry insists on holding Ruby more often than not. "I HODE WOOBY!!"