Rylie's Surgery Update

Yesterday my baby had surgery.  The plan was to be there at 8:30am and 2 hours later we'd be sending our baby back to surgery...headed home by lunchtime.  This is not how things actually went.  We got checked in at the hospital, Rylie got her ID bracelet and we settled in to wait for our room.  

Just as we got settled in and all took turns getting coffee (Rylie couldn't have anything, food or water...so we did this in a side waiting room), someone came in and said we'd have to book it over to Rylie's doctor's office at Emory Eye Clinic to get some final measurements on Rylie's eyes.  While I'm SO glad that Rylie's surgeon is thourough, this was major.  Someone from Children's was nice enough to walk us through several buildings, up and down several elevators, across the street and through a tunnel to Rylie's doctor.  Rylie was SO cooperative and sweet during all this. I was beginning to feel weak because it was nearing 10:30am and all I'd had was coffee.  After we got the measurements we found out that Dr. Lenhart was delayed a bit because of an emergency surgery so my parents kindly let Jason and I go get breakfast when we made it back to Children's.  As we headed back downstairs to the cafeteria I had visions of grits, bacon and biscuits in my head...turns out the cafeteria was closed already so I had to settle for their cafe.  A pumpkin muffin, fruit cup and a latte it was for me.  We headed back upstairs and found my parents headed back to a room with Rylie.  We let them go eat breakfast and got settled into Rylie's room.  Put her gown on, got all her stats taken, got Rylie occupied and figured we'd be moving along soon.  Not. So. Much.

Reading, walking around and putting on her cool surgery hat!

I'd do anything to get this girl to smile!

Let me just tell you.  This was a day full of delays, one after another.  We'd have someone come in and get our hopes up and then we'd find out something else came up.  A one hour delay turned into a total of 6 hours.  Rylie was SO good.  Much better than I would have been if I hadn't had anything to eat or drink all. day.  She was obviously a little weak and irritated at times but generally very pleasant.

Wandering the halls trying to waste time until surgery.

Finally around 3 or so they came in and gave Rylie something to calm her down as much as possible.  Looked like Tylenol or something but believe me, this was no Tylenol.  She laid back in my Mom's arms and stared off into space.  She'd giggle a the ceiling and babble nonsense words.  LOL.  Thank God she was relaxed because we weren't, we were hoping they'd give the room a around of that medication!  At 3:35 they came and took our girl back.  We were sad/nervous/hopeful/exhausted all at the same time.

Here is our girl headed back to surgery with her blankie 

and her new turtle Papa got her from the gift shop.

As soon as we composed ourselves we headed down to the cafe for coffee and a snack (my coffee was actually a strawberry slurpee that Rowan seemed to LOVE).  We settled in for more waiting and finally got our baby back to us around 6 or so.  She was grumpy and WAY sleepy (understandably so).  They wanted her to wake up and eat/drink but that really wasn't happening.  They monitored her for awhile and finally took off the oxygen and took out the IV an let us get her dressed and take her home. 

Papa holding my poor doped up baby.

 We had a long 2+ hour drive with a sleepy baby.  She'd wake up from time to time (barely cracked her eyes) and drink and eat a few crackers.  We got home and it was almost 10pm.  Amy and Matt were here (they picked up my Oliver so he didn't have to stay at the vet for another night).  I was SO glad to be here, exhausted from the day and all the emotions I'd kept in check and quite overwhelmed.  I had a mini-meltdown and felt much better.  Hey. I blame the pregnancy hormones and exhaustion.  I put her to bed with her new favorite stuffed turtle, she cried for 15 seconds and went straight to sleep.  Today she seems to be doing very well.  She's her normal chill baby self.  

I woke up to this smiling face. She's groggy and her eyes

are bloodshot and swollen...but she's smiling!

Playing, watching her reading movie and toddling around the house with a babydoll in hand at all times.  I am SO grateful for all the people that prayed for us and continue to keep her in their prayers.  I'll give her eyes a good few days to heal and then we'll start the real work.  Glasses and patching.  Glasses will help keep the eye alignment and patching will keep her using her least favorite (weaker) eye.  That's the real work.  Please pray that we'll be able to keep up her eye therapy routine and that this will be the last surgery!  I'm SO proud of Rylie, she is such a strong little girl and so resilient and SO blessed to have such an amazing family (and set of friends) that love and support us through this.  Thank you!!  Stay tuned for many more Rylie updates and keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Much love!