The last two or so days have been some of the hardest days of my life. Outside of the first few days at home after 2.0 was born, it's been difficult to keep going.
My husband, my son, my mom and I left Wednesday night (around 6pm) to head to Iowa City because Nate's transplant was scheduled for 6am Thursday morning. If we hadn't gone the night before, we all would've been up at 3am and driving at 430 and it wouldn't have been a good day. My in laws suggested the room and paid for the extra night (Thank You!), so we ate a late dinner, bought supplies at Walmart, and went to bed.
Thursday morning, Nate got me up at 445am (we'd gone to bed at 1130pm) to get ready to leave. We showered, packed some things for the wait during the surgery (I couldn't leave the hospital while he was in surgery, which goes without saying), made sure 2.0 had everything he would need for the day with his grandma, and we left. When we arrived, Nate's parents and grandparents were there to pray with us before Nate was prepped. I went back with him and helped him as he was gowned, had an IV put in, and consented to the surgery. At around 7am, we said goodbye and I went out to wait.
I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so my mother in law and Nate's grandparents went upstairs to get something to eat, and then we just waited. And waited. And waited. Around 10am, the cornea surgeon came to talk to us and let us know that the procedure went well. He was able to give Nate a partial cornea transplant, which means that the 10% of cornea closest to the inside of his eye is still his. The other 90% is donor cornea. Nate was in recovery and was waking up. We'd be able to see him shortly.
But it was a long time before we saw him. Two hours to be precise. Nate did not react well to the medicine that was used to put him to sleep and started throwing up. Around noon, I was taken back to see him. He looked good, but he was in an extreme amount of pain. Add to that the nausea and vomiting that he was having and he was not doing so well. He couldn't keep down the pain medicine, but eventually the nurses (who were awesome!) said that the doctor wanted him to go home.
This is where it gets hard and I get a little peeved over the whole thing. While he was sitting in the wheelchair in the hallway (getting ready to go home) Nate threw up again. Now, for those of you who aren't medically inclined, you don't send someone home from surgery while they are throwing up. But the hospital did. Not only that, but they told me that he was going to be fine, let him eat whatever he wanted, and to keep him quiet and rested. So I did that. I took him back to the hotel, kept him in bed, and kept giving him the pain medicine the doctors gave him (which they didn't want to give him because apparently "cornea transplants don't cause pain" which is bull*&$% in my mind).
When we get back to the hotel, Nate can't keep crackers, water, or his pain medicine down. By 8:55pm, I'm madder than heck and calling the hospital only to be told by the doctor on call that he couldn't see Nate right then (WTH?!) and would we mind coming to the locked up eye clinic at 10pm to be seen? *sigh* Fine. When we get to the eye clinic (which is attached to the hospital but isn't used after 5), we are told to wait (by the doctor on call mind you) for another 20 minutes because he has to take care of another case. We're not waiting in a waiting room with people to help care for Nate though. No. We're waiting in an air lock-like area right at the entrance of the hospital and Nate's sick to his stomach again and in an immense amount of pain. I hung up on the on call doctor and took him to the ER.
I understand why the doctor didn't want to give Nate medicine to help with the vomiting. I understand that the vomiting is a symptom of increased eye pressure, blah blah blah. Why wasn't I told that when I took him home? Why was he sent home in the first place if that was a problem? When his eye pressure was checked and came back normal, he was given medicine to stop the vomiting and we were sent back to the hotel. At 1230am. After being up since 445am.
We went back this morning at 830am for Nate's follow up appointment with his surgeon. I love the surgeon as he's very smart and very kind and if I'd called him last night at 8:55pm, I'm sure he would've given Nate the medicine. But some of his staff are rude and mean. They made me feel like a complete moron when I mentioned that Nate was in pain (because "cornea transplants don't cause pain") and then proceeded to tempt me to beat them about the head and neck with a blunt object. But the surgeon was great. He is confident that this is going to work and everything is going to be wonderful.
So now we're back home in Davenport. Nate is sleeping, 2.0 is napping. Everyone is okay. Tired, but okay. I really don't want to do this again. Or at least, I want better care. But next time, I'm going to know what's happening and what to do.
Now I'm going to take a nap.
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