Taking it one day at a time!!

Well, we made it through the night without having to go to the emergency room. I spoke with the doctor around 11:30 last night and basically made Pat sit in the recliner all night, not reclined and with an ice pack on his eye!! It was uncomfortable but he managed.
This morning I spoke with the nurse practitioner about his pain management. At 10am his pain was still just as excruciating and all that I had was Tylenol!! We got him on some Darvocet but have been easing him into it, just one at a time b/c if he vomits his pressure will go up even more!! He finally got some sleep early this morning and after lunch. I force fed him soup and a sandwich this afternoon, I didn't have to with the big chocolate chip cookie :).
He looks like he's doing better and occasionally smiles. He is on the maximum pressure reducing regimen so there is not much else we can do but wait it out. He really has to take it easy tough. I'm laying down the law that he has to sleep in the recliner all night while I'm at work!!!
Thank you everyone for your prayers and support!! I apologize for the endless amounts of emails!! I don't want to leave anyone out, nor do I want to spend hours on the phone!!! It's been a long week and unfortunately my work week begins tonight!!! I feel a mental health day coming on :)!!

Back to the doctor

We had to go see the retina specialist again today because Pat was having excruciating pain in his eye overnight. Basically, the air bubble in the back of his eye has to stay away from his iris. Otherwise, it blocks the drainage duct in the eye and causes swelling and increased pressure. A normal pressure in someones eye is 21 or lower. His is 33!! He is now on a pill form and 2 different eye drops to dec the pressure in his eye. Positioning his head is the most important but also the most difficult. He has to lay 20-30 degrees elevated or face down. Probably the 2 most uncomfortable positions for him right now. Please pray that Pat can tolerate this and bring the pressure down or he may lose his eye.
I feel horrible, he is on 5 different eye drops 4 times a day. Antibiotics 3 times a day and the pressure reduction pill twice a day. All he wants to do is sleep, and he starts to cry when I give him the eye drops b/c they hurt so bad. All that they will give me for pain control is extra strength Tylenol so that he can continue to be aware of his position and not loopy and flopping all over the place.
If the pain has not gone away by morning, we have to schedule another visit tomorrow. Otherwise, he is to go back Monday at 12:30. Hopefully he feels better!!

Home sweet home!!

Made it home okay, just a little bit car sick. I think it will take awhile for his motion sickness to go away. No major pain, just constant headache. He was bummed out that they shaved his eye lashes off, but they'll grow back!! His eye is pretty swollen and we have to do multiple drops 4times a day, makes it a little tender and they "sting like hell". :)
At home and happy, has to wear a patch or glasses to protect it when walking or sleeping. No bending, driving, exercising, or flying for minimum of 4weeks. He'll cover the driving more in depth at each appointment, its basically when he can see again. He said that the gas bubble won't dissipate for 6-8 weeks and some people cannot see out of that eye until then. Others, what they do see has a crazy depth perception. We'll just have to take it day by day!! Our next appointment is Thursday next week. I'll keep everyone posted!! In the meantime, heres a few pics!!! Thanks again for all the support!!!


Pre-op!!


Swollen shut!!


I hardly fit in this bed!!!


Can you see me???


All curled up in bed with puppy!!

Quick update on Patrick!!!

Thank you everyone for your support!!
The surgery went as well as could be expected. Basically, they removed all of the fluid in his eye, the retina tears are lasered, and a band is placed around the outside of his eye, creating 2 chambers. The front keeps the lens implant in place and the back was filled with gas that dissipates over 6-8 weeks. He was in surgery for 3 hours, due to previous muscle surgeries on his eye!! His doctor said that they removed a ton of scar tissue in order to put the band around the eye and that he had to adjust the position of the lens implant from his cataract surgery. Poor Pat was so nervous!! I guess I didn't explain very well to him that he would have to be intubated!!! But he was eating ice cream all last night!! :)
I'm headed up the the hospital this morning, they kept him overnight to receive antibiotics and pressure reducing medication IV. He will be very very sore today, pain control will be the issue with getting discharged!!
Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

Surgery today

Pat is having his detached retina surgery today at 4pm. It'll be at St. Luke's, the Plaza location. We have to be there at 2pm, and he can't eat anything after 10am. I have been trying to wake him up to go eat!!! He might regret that decision to sleep in!!!! Anyway, it's a 2.5 hour surgery so he'll get a general anesthetic. They are going in a putting a buckle around his eye in order to distribute the fluid properly, place an air bubble in the rear chamber to keep his retina intact and allow it to heal, and remove the fluid that has seeped through the tears and pulled the retina from the back of the eye. ugh!!
I'll keep everyone posted how it goes today!! He's so nervous and I can't say that I blame him!!! Keep him in your prayers today at 4pm!!!

Last night we celebrated my Mom's Bday!! I gave her her present last night after dinner!!!
Dancing with the Stars tickets for this Wednesday night!!! She was so excited!!! The photos are funny b/c I put the tickets in an envelope at the bottom of a clothing box and filled it with random stuff!! Her reaction was too funny!! Can't wait!!!

well, there's good news and bad news....

I'll start with the good!!
I had applied for a promotion in May, which I had originally thought was declined b/c it took so long, and actually just received this week!!!! I'm elated!!!


But then there's Patrick....
Ugh!!!
Retinal detachment
Only involves a small amount of macula,
Still, needs surgery this week, preferably tomorrow!!
NO health insurance!!!
$40,000 surgery!!! (b/c requires a general anesthetic!!!)
Hopefully, I will be updating later that he finally turned in his COBRA paperwork!!!
Speechless....
Say a prayer for Pat that he can still focus today for his job interview, that he be able to work it out with the insurance company, and that his surgery goes well tomorrow!!!! Thank you!!!

So far, So good!!

Things are starting out pretty well in 2009. Pat has an interview with an advertising/marketing agency Monday at noon!! Keep your fingers crossed, it sounds like a fun job.
Happy birthday today to my Mom!!! I won't post numbers :) but later will have to share what I got her for her birthday!!! I'm so excited about it!!!
Also, my parents have sold their fixer upper home!!!! I almost certain that the closing date is Jan 20th!!! Yay!!! It has been a long haul with this one!!! So glad that it all worked out in the end!!! We'll definitely have to celebrate later this month!!!!
Sandy now has a new puppy!! My good friend Anna brought me a little girl to be Dexter's new best friend. They get along really well, though Pat really didn't want another dog, but his mom sure did!! I'm so glad we could keep her in the family!! She's a good girl!!! I think her new name is Sadie?? I'm not sure!! I'm really out of the loop from working so much!!!haha!!!Here's some pics!! They followed Pat everywhere!!



Pat is going to the retina specialist Monday as well, hopefully everything goes well and he doesn't have a detached retina!!! Ugh!! I really hope he doesn't have to have any more eye surgeries!!! Keep him in your prayers this week!!! Poor pat!!! I'll update after the appointment.