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We are back at home following today's surgery on Hazel's left eye. This should be the last surgery that she has for a number of years. Everything went according to plan this morning which is great news.  In addition to a successful procedure, we also got a positive report from Dr Bowman about the health of her corneas. The corneas are still "clear like windows" and her optic nerves look healthy (Eye pressure can cause damage to the nerves). 

Hazel is back at home with Aubree and I this afternoon and is doing just fine. She is irritable, in some pain and very aware that there is a patch over her eye...but that's all to be expected. Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with Hazel and praying for a swift recovery. 

Dr Bowman (Left) and Dr Smith (Holding Hazel)

Eye Surgery Number Four

As usual, I need to start this post by apologizing for not putting more updates on the blog...I enjoy writing about Hazel but have trouble finding the time.  Things are going pretty well for our little family as we approach the end of the first quarter of 2014.  There has been a lot of activity in our lives in the past three months and most of them have been positive.  Hazel is progressing really well and starting to grow like crazy, we celebrated Aubree's birthday earlier this month and I am starting a new job on April 7.  The new job will be great for our family in the long run, but it means that I will be going into an office from 8 to 5 every day instead of working from home...which will definitely be an adjustment.  

We also said goodbye to Roberta Pace, Aubree's grandmother who went to her eternal home last week after enduring a stroke at the age of 96.  Roberta would have been rounding up to say she was 5-feet tall, but she was still the toughest woman in our family.  We love her and will miss her but we were also fortunate enough to have an opportunity to say goodbye as a family.

Hazel and her cousin Kenna with Grandma Roberta (Christmas 2013)

All the family updates are definitely important, but the main purpose of today's blog is that Hazel is having her fourth eye surgery tomorrow (Thursday 3/27).  You might remember that Hazel had a surgery two months ago to alleviate pressure in her right eye, which has been successful as far as we can tell.  The procedure tomorrow is the same surgery from January but will be on the opposing eye.  There is usually a week or more where Hazel is knocked out of her normal routine and needs time to physically and emotionally recover from undergoing surgery.

There is no way around stating the obvious -- surgery days are the worst.  But if everything goes well than Hazel's eye pressure will be under control long term without needing pressure-reducing eye drops.  This would take our total daily eye drops down from the 15-18 range (which involves four different types of eye drops) to 6 total eye drops each day.  

Nothing is guaranteed tomorrow and we definitely feel the stress of that reality.  The first pressure relieving surgery was a success but we are still venturing into uncharted waters for her left eye and are praying for the best.

If you would like to pray for Hazel we would really appreciate prayers for the following scenarios and people:

- For Dr Smith, our glaucoma specialist who is performing the surgery

- For the anesthetic team, that they are able to sedate her safely and efficiently.  Last surgery took 15+ attempts to get an IV placed.

- For the surgery to go as planned and relieve Hazel's left eye pressure

- A quick recovery and healing of the eye so that Hazel can get back to enjoying life as a baby.