On October 17, Conor underwent an outpatient surgery to correct a lazy eye (they actually performed the procedure on both eyes to keep them symmetrical, though one eye drifted out more drastically and more frequently than the other). Most people say they didn't notice it, but we saw it occur increasingly when Conor was tired or in bright sunlight, and after much debate, we decided to address it before it affected his vision. The procedure took place at a surgery center associated with Children's Hospital so all the staff, including the surgeon and anesthesiologist, were pediatric specialists, and all the other patients were kids as well. They did an amazing job of preparing Conor (and his somewhat nervous mom) both leading up to and the day of surgery. We went on a tour of the surgery center the week before his procedure, we did some online reading and looked at a coloring book on the website. Conor was not nervous at all.
Here he is getting his vitals taken in the intake room.
After dressing into his surgery pajamas (the "hospital gown" was surely oriented toward the kids").
After smelling several options, he chose orange soda flavored chapstick to rub inside his oxygen mask to smell as he drifted off to sleep.
Testing the smell one final time, and practicing his deep breaths
Pre-op waiting area activities included games, books, toys, and Conor's choice: video games!
Ready to go off to sleep. He climbed up on the bed by himself without hesitation or anxiety. He didn't even look at me or ask me to be near to him, until the anesthesiologist suggested I hold his hand (I think he did that for me more than Conor!). Then they told him to breathe in his mask, and that he would make the twinkling lights on the ceiling change color each time he took a breath. He was even talking about the after he woke up...about how the doctor would suggest a color and Conor would make it happen, and one time, Conor "made the color change" before the doctor even finished saying the word pink.
To keep me occupied during the operation, I worked on cutting out 80 construction paper trains as a volunteer project to help Conor's kindergarten teacher. I didn't get very far...you'd be amazed how long that takes!! But it was a great conversation starter for other parents in the waiting room.
This is how I came to see him in the recovery room. He was very sleepy and squirmy at first, but felt better with the washcloth over his eyes.
He woke up slowly and eventually had three popsicles. He tried the sunglasses for a while, but didn't really like them. When he first got up to leave, he perked up quickly and moved a little fast as he jumped down from the bed, so we had to slow down and have him lay down a little longer before leaving.
But eventually we made it in the wheelchair to the car.
He looked pretty beat up later that night, and it took a week or two before it looked back to normal. For a while, his eyes drifted inwards while recovering from the surgery and the whites of his eyes are still a little pink even a couple months later, but the blurry/double vision that developed postoperatively is gone, and we haven't seen his eyes drift out anymore at all.
Daddy brought Conor home a gift for being so brave!
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