September 2010, My daughter was helping Daddy out in the driveway. I was in doing the dishes, 2 sisters were playing on the swing set in the backyard and our lil' guy was buckled in his seat watching me! As I kept an eye on everyone, I noticed 1 thing. I saw Daddy and Big Sis and the word peace flooded my mind. They were having a great, calm, peaceful time working to hang all of our cabinet doors to paint. Daddy just built all of the cabinets and this is the last step! I saw the 2 girls on the swing set in the back and I yelled "Be careful Girls...I don't want to take anyone to the hospital today." A few minutes later I heard my oldest daughter crying, but it was not the normal cry. I knew something was wrong. I dropped the dishes and ran as fast as I could. She was in Daddy's lap holding the right side of her face and he said that she told him the wire poked her in the eye. I looked at her eye and saw a small scratch. But it did not look alarming. I immediately began calling eye doctors and all of them, near home, were closed since it was almost lunch time on a Saturday. I found a place that was about an hour away that was still open. The only problem was that they were closing in 15 minutes. The doctor said to bring her in immediately. As soon as he looked in her eye he said "This is not good." and left the room. Now, granted my husband and I thought the doctor would send us home with eye drops. Instead, I hear him calling surgery centers for a 6 year old girl with a traumatic eye injury...Well, certainly this was for a previous patient....right??? Well, I continued to read Goofus and Galent until the doctor came in. He pulled me out into the hallway, explained the situation, and immediately sent us to Akron Children's Hospital for emergency surgery. Nate met us half way there and we prayed ourselves into the unknown. It is a good thing God knows what is going to happen. Once arriving at the Hospital it turned out another child had the same injury and the Opthamologist was going into surgery with him.
Many people came in and peeked under Big Sis's patch and used words that can freak a mother out! All of the fluid had leaked from her eye. She was wheeled into surgery at 11:30 that night to have the fluid replaced and stitches put into her eye. Dr. Lacastro and his team were FABULOUS! I know why he is one of the best Opthamoligists! We spent a few days there.
This was a place where shrimp and slushee's flowed endlessly!
I only wish the parents menu was that good!
We made many trips back to visit until we were transferred to the Cleveland Clinic with Dr. Rychwalski. He and his team were FABULOUS! Big Sis's sight in her right eye was completely gone. She could see a dark shadow if someone was standing in front of her. We kept her patched and full of eye drops! January 2011 came along and she went in for her next surgery.
The lens was removed and replaced and the stitches were taken out of her eye. The moment before surgery, the center of her eye looked like white cotton candy.
The moment she opened her eye after surgery it was completely clear.
Last week marked almost 8 months since that surgery and her vision was 20/25 but now she can read 2 letters on the 20 line! Amazing. The doctors are still amazed by what a "Big Save" this was. We just tell them that a lot of people are praying! Here are a few shots from our last visit! We try to make it as fun as possible by playing hide and seek behind the big pillars on the bridge, eating snacks, and stopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to find the neatest product there!
Snacks!
Waiting on the Doc!
Dr. Rychwalski
All Done!
Oops...Big Sis is trying to take pictures of all of the artwork on the walls...How did Mommy get in the way!
Shopping at Whole Foods. Love the mini carts! Who can find the craziest thing here???
Big Sis did!!! How about an Ostrich egg for dinner! Middle Sis wants to know... can we hatch a baby ostrich?
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