Anthony's Hand Matching up with Daddy's
Momma Feeding Jared
Yesterday we learned that Jared's ROP has progressed to Stage 2 "plus" indicating a significant chance that without correction his vision will be drastically impaired. If not corrected the liklihood of blindness is great or almost certain. As such, the eye doctor recommended that he have laser-eye surgery today.
The surgery in and of itself is not a risky procedure and, as far as success rates go, it is almost a certainty that the ROP will be stopped and Jared will have normal vision. The big risk is that the little guy has to undergo general anesthesia. This means he will be totally knocked out. Needless to say, Danielle and I are very anxious and nervous about this.
We spoke at length last night with Dr. Kamran who somewhat calmed our nerves. He did say the surgery is short; about an hour total. He informed us that while not ideal, putting Jared under is a somewhat low-risk thing at this point given his strength and health. We can also look for some signs in the next day or so that would indicate a setback on the progress he's made up until this point. Yet, once the drugs leave his system he should be back to normal.
I asked Dr. Kamran directly if in his opinion he thought Jared could not tolerate the surgery would he recommend the procedure, and Dr. Kamran told us he would never recommend a procedure such as this if he weren't confident a baby could handle it. This makes us feel a little better. All of the other nurses have given us words of encouragement as well. Nurse Imelda G. last night said as far as procedures go this one is relatively routine.
She analogized like this: people make eggs everyday and the chances of getting burned badly is always there. Yet, people still make eggs everday safely without getting burned badly. This makes sense and makes us feel better that the staff isn't as worried. Yet, as with anyone, general anesthesia is always risky, even for healthy adults.
This decision was not easy for us. Knowingly placing your child in harm's way is not easy. But, not acting and letting him potentially have a horrible disability is not an option we can stomach. Because the benefits far outweigh the risks we had to agree to this surgery. We are confident that all will go well, but we need your thoughts and prayers as much as ever.
As we have said from the beginning, the NICU road is really a rollercoaster ride. We thought the train was pulling into the station, but this event is a reminder that the ride isn't over until it is over. This event is a sobering reality, and yet one more hurdle we must overcome before the boys come home.
The good news is that provided the surgery goes as planned, this will not delay the homecoming of our boys, which Dr. Kamran tells us should be within two weeks.
But, Anthony may need this procedure as well. His ROP has progressed to Stage 2, but he does not have "plus disease." The doctor will look at his eyes again next week. According to Dr. Adrian however, "If one twin needs surgery, the other likely will too." We hope he's wrong.
On the positive side, the boys have steadily gained weight over the last two weeks. Anthony is now 4lbs. 12oz. and Jared is 4lbs. 11oz. Both boys' spells have subsided considerably, and they are now nippling all of their feeds. Their temperatures have been stable and other than this eye issue, they are on the road to home.
Again, we are asking for your thoughts and prayers as Jared undergoes his procedure today. We are grateful to God for the two amazing boys He has given us, and we are grateful for all of you out there that pray for us and support us. We can't do this without all of you.
The fight goes on...
Fight On, Little Fighters!- Love Daddy
The boys continue to be in our prayers daily.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth and Whitney