Isaac's Eye and Our Very Expensive Vacation to Texas Children's Hospital

On Thursday afternoon I noticed that Issac's eye was a little red and irritated. I didn't think much of it, until the next morning when his eye was swollen, red, and glued shut. He has had goopy eyes since he was born, and I knew that meant his tear ducts were blocked (and would eventually open on their own). But his eye had never looked like this before. After his morning nap it was even worse, so I called the pediatrician and made an appointment to come in at 2:15 that afternoon. By the time we got to the doctor's office, Isaac's eye looked like this: 

As soon as the doctor looked at Isaac, she expressed how concerned she was. She said that because it was Friday afternoon and we would not be able to get an appointment with an ophthalmologist, we would need to take him to the ER. I pushed back a bit and asked if she could just give us a prescription for antibiotics, but she was very firm in her opinion that he needed IV antibiotics. She then said that infections near the eye are very dangerous and can even spread to the brain. "Of course, this will not happen with your child," she said. Hah! (I have to mention that we did not see our regular pediatrician, who I love!) I couldn't hold back the tears. I called Brent and he said he would meet me there. As we drove to the ER, I said a long prayer, and I felt that everything would be okay. From this point on, it wasn't such a scary experience. 

We took him to Texas Children's at the West Campus out in Katy, TX. We wanted go there versus the main campus in the Med Center because it has free parking and I thought traffic would be lighter in that direction. It was a good decision. There were only two people in front of us in the ER. We were in and out of triage, and in less than 20 minutes were seen by an ER doctor. She took a culture from his eye and then sent us to the ophthalmology clinic on the other side of the building because, luckily, the ophthalmologist named Dr. Hussein was still there. He dilated Isaac's eye so he could look at the nerve to make sure it was okay. It was quite the experience having to pry open a baby's eye (while screaming, of course) and get him to look the exact direction the doctor needed him to look!! 

Everything was fine with Isaac's nerve, but Dr. Hussein wanted to do a CT scan to see if there was an abscess in his tear duct and to make sure the infection hadn't spread farther back into his head. So, we went back to the ER: 

The next part was the worst: getting the IV for the antibiotics. Isaac's fat rolls, which we love, are not the best when it comes to finding veins. It took 5 nurses and over 30 minutes of poking to get the IV in. After 20  minutes of poking and screaming (and me crying) they finally gave him a break. Then they got the charge nurse, who wasn't successful either. Then finally they got some other guy (not sure who he was) who looked very determined, and he was able to put the IV near Isaac's ankle. 

Because Isaac had cried so long and hard, he fell asleep very quickly. So, when it came time for the CT scan, they actually didn't have to sedate him. It was a miracle! I held him until they had everything prepped. And when I put him down, he only moved a little. He stayed asleep as they put a lead blanket over him and strapped his head in place. He was still sucking on his pacifier, but when they took it out at the last minute, he held still. The CT scan came out perfectly. (I wish I has asked to see it.) 

We waited for the CT scan to be read by the radiologist before they would admit us to the hospital. It took forever. Luckily there was a gurney in the ER room, so Brent and I took turns laying down. Finally, around  midnight, they told us that we would have to be transferred to the main campus so that Isaac could be monitored by the ophthalmologists there. (There was not an ophthalmologist on the West Campus over the weekend.)  And we would have to go by ambulance. We asked, "Can't we drive him there ourselves?" But they said no. We asked if we would have to pay for it, and they said no. They better be right. 

The ambulance was very bumpy, so Isaac stayed fast asleep. He loves getting bounced. I do not. However, as far as ambulance rides go, this is the only kind I ever want to have. 

Getting unloaded. They tied his car seat to the gurney. Ha ha! 

It was a long night! We arrived at the Main Campus a little before 2 am-- when the shift change happens. The ER staff was a little on the crazy side. They were singing, dancing, and wearing St. Patrick's Day outfits. I think they were ready to go home. 

When we got to our room, we were happy to find a private bathroom, a desk area, and a pull-out bed that just barely fit me and Brent. (Much better accommodations than the NICU!)  Brent had driven one of our cars from the West Campus, ran home to pack our bags, and then met us back at the Main Campus. It was a good thing because we ended up staying not only one, but two nights. 

On Saturday, the ophthalmologist opened Isaac's tear duct, which means they put a probe down his eye through his nose to open up the blockage. It is a short procedure and they did not sedate him for it. (I tried to not to think about that.) The nurses who held Isaac down (we got to wait in the hall and try not to listen to him scream) said he was the strongest baby they have ever had to hold down. I believe it. When they said they weren't going to sedate him, I thought, "Good luck!" I knew he would put up a big fight. 

Other than that procedure though, we pretty much just hung out. Isaac got antibiotics every 8 hours, had his vital signs taken every 4 hours, and was visited through out the day by a resident doctor, the attending doctor and her team, and all sorts of different eye people. 

By Sunday, Isaac's eye looked like new. After getting the okay from yet another ophthalmologist, we were able to go home. Thank goodness! 

We are grateful to the residents, doctors, nurses, and nurse assistants who took such good care of us. Everyone loved Isaac of course. How could they not?