BRAXTON'S EYE SURGERY

12/15/10

At Braxton's 9 month appointment (Wednesday December 1st) we got the go ahead from our pediatrician to contact an opthamologist about his clogged tear duct. She gave us the name and number of someone and I called that day to schedule an appointment. We were hoping that we could get him in before the end of the year because we had met our deductible and whatever we might need to cover we could put on our Flex spending which still had quite a bit left on it! I called Dr. Peterson's office as soon as we got home and was totally shocked when they said they could get us in the next morning! Luckily I have an AWESOME supervisor who is very understanding and good to work with who said it would be okay if I was late the next day and to come in when we were done. After evaluating Braxton and deciding it was a clogged tear duct and that he showed all the possible signs for it they gave us two options...

Option #1- they could do it in the office

PROS:

It's super quick (he would only be away for about 3 minutes)

No General Anesthesia - No Surgery

A LOT cheaper (we wouldn't have to pay for the hospital visit, anesthesiologist, etc.

cons:

They can only numb the eye ball and not the actual duct so he would feel EVERYTHING they did to him.

They would wrap him up "like a burrito" so keep his arms down and body still

He would be uncomfortable and in pain for about a half hour after because there is no numbing done.

He gave us a 90% chance of it not working. If it didn't work he would have to have a stent put in which requires surgery. If you know the Nuttall's that 10% chance is enough to worry!

Option #2 - they could do it at the Hospital

PROS:

He would be put under General Anesthesia so he wouldn't feel anything. He also wouldn't be in any pain for that half hour after that is supposed to be so bad because the anesthesia wouldn't have warn off by then.

It would be done at either Primary's main campus or at Primary at Riverton so he would be in the right environment for his age and needs.

CONS:

He would have to be put under anesthesia.

Overall it would be much more expensive

It's a surgery!

In the end we went with option #2. The pros for option #2 out weighed everything in option #1 and the con's of option #2.

After making our decision we found out that they wouldn't be able to get us in until the first Thursday in January - the day before Sami's wedding! We were a little sad because we were hoping to be able to use up our flex for the year and we weren't sure how his recovery would be for the wedding but we decided to go with it anyway. We would rather sooner than later.

One week after our appointment (Thursday,December 9th 2010) I got a call from Dr. Peterson's surgery scheduler. She told me that they had a cancellation for the next Wednesday (December 15th) and asked if we wanted it! The best news was that it was at the Riverton Campus which is so much closer to our home. Of course we took it and we were so excited to be able to get it done.

We didn't find out until the 14th, the day before his surgery, what time we were supposed to be there as well as the other good to know things (when he could eat/drink last and what he could have, where to check in, etc.)

Tuesday night Grandpa Brian came over after Nate got home from scouts to help give Braxton a blessing. It was such a nice blessing and was so comforting to me!

Thank you Grandpa Brian and Grandma Hollie for coming over and for your help

Wednesday morning we showed up bright and early and ready to be done with goobery eyes! Braxton couldn't have any milk after midnight and sprite, apple juice and water after 4am. He was a really good sport about it until 8:00 when he decided he had had enough and just wanted something to eat! We normally feed him as soon as he wakes up in the morning so he started to get frustrated that he had been up for almost 2 1/2 hours without being fed. It also didn't help that we had to wake him up way before he would normally get up on his own.

When we checked in Nate and I both got a sticker with Braxton's name on it and a wrist band with his patient stamp to wear.

Braxton got a hospital band to wear. The lady that checked us in asked if it would be better on his wrist or on his ankle. Nate and I both decided his wrist would be best because it might keep him busy! What a bad idea. He didn't mind it and didn't even really touch it for the first 10-15 minutes - but that was the end of it! He was getting so frustrated with it and wanted so bad to pull it off. When we changed him from his clothes to his hospital PJ's we weren't able to get his shirt off without the band falling off (probably a good thing). They ended up getting us a new one and this time put it on his ankle where it should have gone in the first place. He didn't even know it was there.

Braxton in Preop with his cute PJ's

(tired and Hungry)

He was fine watching dad play until he realized what it did!

The balls cheered him up

(I LOVE this picture - the back of the gown lookes so cute)

He did eventually get sick of the ball toy but was able to stay happy for a little bit on his own

Brax and Dad

(waiting for the Nurse, Doctor and Anesthesiologist to talk to us before the surgery)

What we hope to be the LAST GOOBER EYE PICTURE!!!

While waiting to be talked to we got a little desperate with our entertaining efforts

After what seemed like forever Braxton's OR Nurse came in and talked to us about the procedure and asked us some questions. She then told us that Doctor Peterson would come talk to us and then Dr. Welch, our Anesthesiologist and when he left he would take Braxton with him. At that point I started to get a little nervous. I was not so excited with the idea of some strange man taking my son away from me and carrying him back to the OR. I was really hoping that he was nice and that Braxton would be okay and not get to scared!

A little bit later Doctor Peterson came in and explained the procedure to us what to expect after, marked his eye and asked us more of the same questions as well as answered our questions. Then Dr. Welsh came in and explained what he would be doing, what to expect after and again asked us the same questions as the previous two and answered our questions. One thing that I wasn't real thrilled about was when the Anesthesiologist told us that he would have to have a breathing tube put in. Because of where they were working on Braxton's face it was the easiest and safest way to keep him breathing. The nurse was right, as soon as we were done talking he said "this is where I take him". It was so hard handing him over. Dr. Welch walked Nate and I to the waiting room door where we said our goodbyes to Braxton and then sat and watched as Dr. Welch carried Braxotn away down the long hallway. Nate and I found some seats in the waiting room and waited. No more than 10 minutes later the receptionist said that they were getting ready to close and to follow her to the consultation room where Dr. Peterson would come talk to us. We sat and waited in that room for about 3 more minutes before he actually came in. He told us that the procedure went well, that Braxton did great but that the blockage was "pretty bad." I know he's done a lot of these procedures and seen a lot of clogged tear ducts so the idea that he thought is was bad made me think it really must have been. He had to probe it two different times. The first time was so tight that he did it a second time to make sure that it opened up okay. He then flushed it with Saline to watch for the drainage and make use it was opened enough. Luckily it flushed out just fine. He told us that Braxton would be a little tired the rest of the day but should be back to his normal self that afternoon. He also told us to expect bloody tears and bloody nose for at least the rest of the day.

He had us go back to the waiting room until the receptionist could take us back and about 2 minutes after sitting back down in the waiting room she came out and told us that only one person could go back. I was so glad when Nate looked at me and said that I should be the one to go back - that I would be more comforting to Braxton! As we got closer to Braxton and the nurse who was holding him he looked tired but he didn't seem upset..... until he saw me and immediately burst into tears!! I have to admit, seeing that brought a couple tears to my eyes and made me feel so bad! I cuddled him and fed him the rest of the sugar water bottle they had started feeding him. I was back in Phase 1 with him for no more than 5 minutes before they said we were good to go to Phase 2 recovery where Nate was able to join us with a bottle for Braxton! We hung out there for about a half hour until we were cleared to go home!!

We laid Braxton in his Hospital crib bed to get him changed back into his clothes and laying in it was the oxygen mask they used on him in surgery. Nate, trying to be funny, picked it up and held it over Braxton's head pretending like he was going to set it over his mouth and nose. When Braxton looked up and saw what he was doing he freaked out a little bit and burst into tears - SO SAD!!

Braxton in Phase 2 of Recovery

You can see where they "marked the sight" above his left eye

He was entertained for a little bit by the show they turned on for him

He was so out of it......

He kept making the craziest faces

And became obsessed with pointing at everything!!

I was so impressed at how fast the procedure was and how little Braxton was actually away from us. The time we waited in Preop was at least double the time from when we left Braxton until we went home. The staff at Primary Children's at Riverton was amazing. Everyone was so nice to Nate and I and so good with Braxton. I was so pleased with how well Braxton did the rest of the day! He was very tired for sure but he took a good nap when we got home and ate a good lunch after he woke up. The worst thing was the bloody tears he cried and his bloody nose. I would take that over any alternatives though!

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers for our family and especially Braxton! We felt them all and it meant a lot. Thank you also to Grandma Hollie and Grandpa Brian for dinner and the get well toy cars for Braxton! Also to Grandma Donna, Grandpa Jeff, Aunt Sami, Aunt Lexi, Uncle Jason and Uncle Zach for coming to visit! We have the best families ever.