Thursday, March 5, 2009

Home From Surgery

Gwyneth's surgery went very well and was much shorter than expected. From the time we handed her to the nurses beforehand to the time the doctor came out to talk with us afterward was only about 30 minutes. The only hard part on us was letting her go to the nurses beforehand, but even that wasn't as difficult as I imagined it might be.

Although she was a little grumpy about not eating this morning, as long as we kept her engaged she really didn't cause a big fuss. We left home on time, arrived on time, and they came to take her into surgery right on time, which is not something we were expecting (having a lot of hospital/surgical experience). The doctor ended up working on both of her eyes, which we knew was a possibility. The inside half of each eye is very red, and she was very fussy for about the first hour out of surgery (especially when we pulled the large bottle of apple juice out of her mouth).

But, we were in our car by noon, and she slept all the way home and all the way until 4 this afternoon (Tricia and I caught a nap as well when we got home). She downed a big bottle a formula when she woke up, and I just left home to head down to the church for the evening...mommy and baby were talking and playing like normal, although baby is definitely still very groggy.

We've been told not to expect to see a difference in her eyes (the crossing and dipping of her right eye) or behavior for at least a few days, but I can already tell that her two eyes are much more aligned with each other. So, we'll just pray that they stay that way and that she won't need another surgery. All in all, it was a good experience, and, if what we've been told is true, she'll be back to "normal" by tomorrow, although her eyes will remain red for possibly several weeks.

Thank you all for your prayer and encouragement. We both felt very at peace (although very tired) all day, and are very grateful for your support! Check back in later tonight for some very cute pics of tiny Gwyneth in her tiny hospital gown...

Nate

46 comments:

SmWonder00 said...

She's sounds like a toughie...but she's always been a toughie, hasn't she? We're keeping her in mind and hoping that this will be the last of the eye surgeries for the little White Rose.

ShEiLa said...

fantastic news.

on time surgery?
unbelieveable.
i believe you though.

ToOdLeS.ShEiLa

simplykristi said...

Glad that Gwyneth's surgery went well! Hope that Gwyneth does not need further eye surgery.

Standing in the Rain said...

She must have her mom's toughness and resilience! (no offense papa) Glad to hear things went well and she's happy!

Marsmile said...

Glad all went well! Hope no more surgeries! Hope she'll be more alert by tomorrow! :-)

Andy Lawrenson said...

I can't blame her for being grumpy because of no breakfast. I'm the same way.

Glad it all went well! Praying she recovers wells.

Susan said...

So glad that it went well!! My little one will be having eye surgery in the near future for his exotropia. Can't wait to see how the surgery works!

Carol Jackson. said...

Glad everything went well. We were praying in VB

Jen said...

Praise GOD!! That is wonderful news!

Rebecca said...

I'm SO glad it all went well. :)

Ree said...

Looks like everything turned out just fine. I am sure with lots of intervention from above!! Continued prayers! God Bless and take care!!

Anonymous said...

So glad everything went well :)

LA said...

Aww, guys I'm so glad it went well. Been thinking about you!

and as for rumpy/groggyness - Surely nothing a lil chocolate pudding can't fix for her being such a brave wee girl?!

A said...

Thanks for the update. Praying that recovery will be quick and not too much of a bother. Praying also that the results will be successful.

Anonymous said...

such a good news kind of day -- glad all went well for her -- glad for your peace of mind that surgery was quick -- will pray for her still, as always

heidi reed

lesley said...

So glad to hear it all went so uneventfully! I wonder what she thinks of her new eyesight?

Danine said...

Great news! Tough little cookie you got there. I'm thinking that God has alot planned for little Gwyneth and she's more than up to meet it face first and full steam ahead!

Robyn said...

so glad it went well! she is such a little cutie!

mom2LEAA said...

Wonderful news, prayers answered. Have a restful and peaceful night. Keep those pain meds up, so that she can sleep.
Cindy

Tote, Debby, Sammy and Caleb Jimenez said...

yay!!! another answer to prayer! God is so good!! so glad to hear the great news!! =)

Liz {Learning To Juggle} said...

What wonderful news!! I am so happy it went so smoothly for your little princess!!

Andrea said...

Oh good, I am glad it went well! She is quite the little trooper!!

Amy said...

Glad to hear it went well. yeah.

Elizabeth said...

Glad that the surgery is done. No matter how "routine" a procedure is for people performing them, there's always some anxiety for the patient and family. Hope she has a restful evening.

Momof2bz said...

So glad to hear that everything went so smoothly. Who knows maybe smooth sailing IS the new normal? Let's hope :)

Lesley said...

Glad the surgery went well. I had a similar surgery as a child but I was 12 and woke up to huge bandages on my eyes. That was back in the dark ages! Good to hear that Gwyneth is doing well.

Kathryn said...

Wonderful news!

Amber said...

That is really amazing. I have the same issue with my right eye as Gwyneth. 25 years ago, I guess the surgeries weren't as advanced, and although I had 3 of them, my eye is still the same today. I wonder if this surgery Gwyneth had is successful on adults...

E.J. said...

Great news. It seems trite to say that she's an amazing little girl.

Unknown said...

What wonderful news! I've been praying for Gwyneth and I'm glad to hear that Mommy and Daddy did well through the surgery as well. Can't wait to see the pictures tonight!

Justine, Romy's Mama said...

what a relief to hear that all went well!

Paige Hinrichs said...

I'm happy everything went well!

Blessings From Above said...

So glad to hear everything went so smoothly!

PRAISE GOD!!!

Michelle M. said...

I haven't commented in a while, but I want to let you know I am praying for a quick recovery and wonderful results!

The Burgess Family said...

Tough cookie!!! Glad she made it through the surgery!!

Anonymous said...

Thank God for the good news! Poor thing probably does not feel great, but I pray that she is full of smiles soon! I am glad to hear that you and Tricia made it through today, too. I know that had to be scary for you!

Tracy P. said...

Great news!!

Kim said...

I'm so glad that her surgery went well. I'll be praying that she heals well and heals quickly and won't need another one at all. She's such an amazing little girl!

Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too said...

I'm so glad it went well. Praying that this surgery did the trick!

Jacoline said...

Good to hear! Yes it takes at least a month before the redness disappears completely. I had it too after an operation on my jaws. It might look weird but it's nothing, it doesn't hurt or anything, it's just because of the operation they did. I hope & pray that her eyes improve over the days.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the update! We will continue to pray for her as she recovers. She's a tough little chick!

~Sara from MD

Carey said...

Im so glad to hear her surgery went well. Praying for a quick recovery.

Anonymous said...

My brother had the same surgery to fix the muscles on both eyes several years ago at Duke when he was barely 2. (He was also a preemie, although not micro.) His recovery included several days of keeping the house dark and some not fun eye drops. His eyes looked red in the corner for a couple of weeks. Lucky for us, he was only fussy for a day or two. He is now 18 and his eyes still look great and does not need glasses. You can tell that one of his eyes looks only a little out of alignment when he is extremely tired. I think only family members notice though.

Kelly said...

This and the pictures bring me back to when our 6 month old daughter had an MRI. I agree that the hardest part was handing her over to the nurses and doctor. I hope she's back to her usual self soon, and I'm glad everything went so smoothly.

Amy said...

Hi Nate--glad to hear the surgery went well. My daughter (33w, now almost 4) has had 2 strabismus surgeries in VA==wondering if our docs were the same...

Brenda said...

Just awesome!