Take 2, Eye Surgery

This was not a relaxing summer, let's just start with that glaring fact. Being displaced for what ended up being 8 weeks was not ideal. We packed up and moved 7 times within those 8 weeks, and changed cars so many times I lost count but it was more than 10, that much I know (in 100+ degree weather as I'm sweating and cursing trying to get carseats and booster seats wrestled over and buckled in, kill.me.now.). We will be forever grateful for my sister's friend who heard of our plight and offered us their car without even knowing us. That is true Christianity people. And for Nathan's parents who took pity on us and lent us their car as well. Bless you! (A Thank You to everyone who helped us with rides, gathering our stuff from across the valley, letting us crash in your homes etc., we needed lot's of help this year.)

This was also the summer of redo's, which is fine if you are talking about an awesome massage or amazing food instead of root canals and surgeries. I had a root canal done soon after I arrived home. As a bonus I had some serious pain for weeks after. Then in an attempt to fix an old root canal the dentist spent forever trying to get into an overlooked canal but in the end had to send me on to an Endodontist, who finished the job over 2 long appointments. When I later went back to the dentist to put the crown on it didn't fit and he had to do another one. I bet I spent a solid weeks worth of summer vacay not-numb-enough with a drill squealing away in my head..

But enough about me. 

Ander's initial eye surgery left his eyes somewhere in between where it had been and where it needed to be. A few days before we were scheduled to head home we were told he needed a 2nd surgery. We extended our stay and headed back to the hospital.

 This time they got it right with the anesthesia and pain killers and the process of waking up was much better than the 1st time. The surgery was done on the outer muscles of the eye where they take out a section of muscle. It causes more swelling and usually more pain as well. This particular surgery typically takes longer to heal too.

We don't have graham crackers in Taiwan so after Ander had been resting at home post-surgery for quite a few hours, eyes still tightly closed, I asked him if he was hungry to which he nodded and said, "I want graham crackers." I was so surprised by his specific request! But Auntie Natalie came through and he devoured graham crackers and teddy grahams with his eyes closed.

 About 48 hours after the surgery he looked like he'd been beat up pretty good. Lot's of swelling, especially in his left eye. And his eyes pulled outwards a lot, and even though we'd been told to expect this, it was still distressing to see.

 As the swelling went down, sometimes his eyes looked pretty good, and sometimes one of them would wander off and do it's own thing...

And his left eye had this big bulge where the stitches were so when he turned his eye this big 'ol bulge would swing out, it was a stomach turner! But at his 2 week appointment he measured really good and we've been assured things are moving in the right direction. 

This was taken this morning while Ander experimented with blueberries in his ears as ear plugs, but his eyes look pretty darn good. When he is tired they seem to go out more often, so with jet lag factored in I'd say it's looking stellar. 

As difficult as this summer was logistically, we were so grateful to be in the States and have good care.