Hazel's surgery went really well today. It was the first one they've had to perform at this hospital in about a year or more. The eye condition is a fairly regular thing for preemies, but having to perform the surgery is not. Since it wasn't a common occurrence, they made sure they had plenty of staff on stand-by just in case. Dr. Spencer was the ophthalmologist who performed the surgery and Hazel tolerated it really well. Instead of intubating Hazel again (sticking breathing tube down her throat), they instead just gave her the nasal cannula, which is tube running across her face just under her nostrils, that keeps oxygen plentiful. They opted for this conscious sedation over 'knocking her out' with anesthesia because intubating can often cause complications afterward and extend the baby's stay far beyond what was originally the case. It worked well enough and the procedure went off without a hitch. She awoke groggy, fussy and experiencing a few brady's but these were due to her body being so dulled. They administered an anti-narcotic drug thereafter which pulled her out of the stupor and, in the nurse's words, 'she woke up ticked off.' At present she is picking back up the habit of feeding from a bottle and, at last check, she took only 5 ml before dozing back off from fatigue. She will continue to improve and the medical staff there continue to praise her for how well the surgery went and how well she handled it.
Cora is enjoying her time at home. In exemplary fashion, she has slept incredibly well during the days and kept Mama and Papa up plenty during the night. She has been fussy due to not being able to pass a stool for about a day but then she got back on track and has been much more agreeable. Her feedings continue to increase at home and she is getting more time than ever to actually nurse with mama. Cora has her first appointment with her pediatrician on this Friday. Salem and Chester are quite interested in this new, little, grunting creature that has invaded their abode.
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