Ben was scheduled for his eye surgery yesterday after a week delay.  Josh had wanted to speak with the doctor to clarify a few points prior to us moving forward.  He did that early this week and that set us up for a go yesterday.  We had to be at NYU hospital at 915a for a 1015a surgery.  Ben couldn’t eat anything in preparation and while he is now old enough to have this concept explained, he still asked for breakfast oh…15 times. 

We arrived at the hospital after two subways and one taxi ride.  The Upper West Side to Midtown East in the middle of rush hour is always a fun commute. We checked in on the day patient floor and were promptly moved to the playroom to wait.  We were the only patients in there at the time so we had full attention from the Child Life specialist. She talked us through everything that would happen that day, step by step, then played and colored with Ben.  Ben thought this was fantastic.

Our doctor came in and explained a change of plans.  While it is Ben’s right eye that is affected by Duane’s, the doctor wanted to operate on the left eye because it would help align the eyes better based on Ben’s unique issue.  We had to modify the consent form but we agreed with the logic and felt confident in his decision.

Next up was a weight check (almost 27lbs!) and then we went into another room. Here Ben changed into his gown and also took medicine to “relax him”.  Relax is apparently code word for making him act high.  They explain it to you by saying he will seem a little drunk, but it was definitely more high than drunk.  Example:  he kept pitching his head forward to stare at his belly button and then proceeded to laugh hysterically. 10 times in a row.  Josh and I were in tears watching him.

At about 1130a (yes, an hour and 15 minutes behind) I walked with Ben into surgery, watched as he was put under and then retreated to the waiting room.  About a half hour after that the doctor was out and said surgery was successful!  We then moved back into recovery and waited for Ben to wake up which he did thirty minutes or so later.  Little kids tend to come out of anesthesia somewhat violently and we knew to expect this from when he had tubes put in his ear.  Nevertheless, it’s still hard to watch your child cry and flail.  He really wasn’t adjusting or snapping out of it so after a few minutes they gave him Fentanyl which is similar to Morphine and back to sleep he went.  On my lap.  For three hours.  Yup!  You see, the nurses moved the bed right out of the recovery area after he first woke and put him in my lap.  They didn’t expect him to sleep another three hours but it isn’t uncommon.  So there I was with a sleeping toddler -who I most certainly was not going to do anything to wake-trapped.  Josh offered to trade at one point but I didn’t even want to move Ben that much.  Regardless, I survived and the next time Ben woke up he was a much happier monkey. 

Ben’s eye is super blood shot now but he doesn’t have anything special on it.  We are putting ointment on every night after he falls asleep and that is really it.  We follow up with the doctor in two weeks but hopefully this is the close of another chapter in our ongoing quest to have a procedure done at, or a specialist from every hospital in the Boston AND NYC metro areas!