Info on Collin-Pt. 1

Collin with Mommy on surgery day-2/2/11

Collin with Daddy on surgery day-2/2/11

So, after making blogging at least once a week my New Year's Resolution, I have to say what started out great came to a crashing halt for 2 months. To see what I was busy doing during that time, please check out the Saints on Stage blog. Now that THAT is over (great experience, but a major time commitment), I can update you on the biggest development for us these past two months-Collin's condition. As you know, Collin was scheduled for surgery on February 2nd to probe his clogged tear ducts. It was an experience that went very well and really, with the exception of one part, was not scary at all.

We arrived at Buffalo Hospital that morning early. Collin had woken up at 5:45, but couldn't have a bottle (no food or drink after midnight), so needless to say, he had been a bit cranky, but fell asleep on the car ride over. We checked in at 7:30, sat down, and waited for them to call us back. I was already feeling pretty good, as Collin's ophthalmologist, Dr. Oster, is amazing, and I knew that the anesthesiologist on call was one of my Kindergarten parents, Dr. Macheel. They came and got us, told us what to expect (they would be inserting a thin, blunt metal wire through the tear duct to open any obstruction, then sterile saline would be irrigated through the duct into the nose to make sure that there was an open path, they would repeat on the other side, then bring him back to recovery). They had us get him in his little purple scrubs (which were a little girly, but I digress), and then we waited for the docs to come in. Both Dr. Oster and Dr. Macheel came in, said hello, and said that the procedure would be short, sweet, and would go well, with a 90-95% success rate. They had no concerns, but asked if we had questions. My biggest question was: Were they going to put him under completely? Would he be okay? Knowing that I have a sensitivity to anesthesia, I was nervous. Dr. Macheel told me that yes, he was being put under, but that he would be fine. However, the nurse told us that there was an option for Mark or I to go into the surg. room to watch Collin be put under and hold him until he was asleep. That's when I teared up a little. I wanted to be there for my baby, but I didn't want to watch him go limp. I asked what percentage of parents went in compared with those that don't. They told me 80/20. "80% go in?" I asked. "No," the nurse told me. "About 80% DON'T go in, for the same reasons you are hesitant." Okay, so I knew if I didn't go in, I was in the majority. Plus, the nurse pointed out that Collin would be too young to remember if I was there or not, so my mommy guilt was at rest. I had to do what was best for me and for Collin. I didn't want to be a distraction, so I opted out. Mark opted out, too. "Okay," they said. "Just wait here and the anesthetist will be here shortly to take Collin to surgery."

We waited for about 5 minutes when ANOTHER school parent, Steve, came and got Collin and took him to surgery. "Oh my goodness!" I said. "I totally forgot you were an anesthetist! Now I feel so much better!" They whisked Collin away while Mark and I waited.

After about 25 minutes, they came and got us and had us sit in a recovery room and make a bottle for Collin (he was likely to be hungry, though they warned us that some kids come out of anesthesia crabby, sick, or lethargic). We were just making a bottle when YET ANOTHER school parent, Kaia, walked in with Collin. "It was like a St. Francis party in there-me, Steve. and Jeremy taking care of your little guy!" she said, chuckling. "Thank you so much for taking such good care of him." I told her. Collin came to, and while slightly lethargic, was VERY hungry so he took his bottle while we waited for the docs to come and tell us how the surgery went. Dr. Macheel came in and said Collin did great. Then Dr. Oster came in and said she felt very confident that the clogs were clear. "When I pushed the probe through," she said. "I felt the resistance open up. We have a post-op appointment in two weeks, but I feel very good about what we did today."

Fast forward two weeks: Collin's eyes looked considerably better, but I was still quite certain that he would have to have something else done with his right eye, which was still kinda goobery. We went to Dr. Oster's office, where she said the dreaded "s" word-stint. She said that we had 3 options:
Option #1: We could massage the clog and hope that it would open on its own.
Option #2: We could do a repeat probing on the right side.
Option #3: We could put a stint in the right side. What would happen is: A silicone tube would be placed in the tear duct to stretch it. The tube would be left in place for as long as 6 months (though ours would be in place for 3 months) and then removed in another short procedure in the office.

She said of the 3 options, #1 wouldn't work (cause it hadn't worked thus far), and #2 wouldn't likely work because while the right eye improved, it hadn't gotten better enough where a probe would likely fix it. She was recommending #3, but because of it being more of a surgical procedure than the probing, she would have to refer us to a pediatric ophthalmologist. She gave us the name of an amazing pediatric op in Maple Grove, known as Dr. P. (cause her last name is nearly impossible to pronounce). We set up an appointment with Dr. P. that day. She only had 3 openings-March 11 (which happened to be opening day of the musical), March 15 (our K-2 field trip to Underwater World), and March 29 (during Accreditation-very similar to a state visit at a public school). I chose March 15th @ 9:30am. I was very nervous about what was ahead-would Dr. P. recommend the same thing-a stint? Would we like her as well as Dr. Oster? Where would Collin have surgery? More on that later...