Mother has been on the waiting list for surgery. She was quite impatient to have this done as her eyes had deteriorated to not being able to read the eye chart, only see three fingers held up in front of her, with the worst eye on her last examination. Well the day finally arrived.
I got Mother up and showered her early, as we had to be at the hospital by 07:30am. We went to the ward for day surgery and waited, as preparatory eye drops were intermittently inserted. The risks had been discussed with her G.P., Mother and myself. (She was a general anaesthetic risk). It was important that she have surgery for quality of life as reading and watching TV were important past-times. At present seeing TV was even becoming blurred. Mother was last on the morning list, and became anxious about falling asleep on the table, as we waited. The surgery was to be performed under Local Anaesthetic and the decision to go ahead depended on Mother's ability to stay awake and very still as instructed. Mother was worried because she often fell asleep in the mornings, and if she did, would forget where she was and wake jumping and flailing about with fright!
I became concerned as I saw mother beginning to doze off while sitting waiting in the Day Ward chair. "She hadn't slept much the night before", I remembered. After a while I asked one of the nurses if Mother could have a bed to lay down on. This was not the normal routine for the Cataract surgery patients. They usually sat in chairs, then were wheeled to surgery and back in a wheel chair. Fortunately the nurse was obliging and mother was put onto a bed, where she immediately went off into a deep sleep. Being last on the list was working out well because Mother was now spending her waiting time having her morning nap.
I woke Mother as time to go approached. Made sure she toileted so Mother could relax without worrying about that. She had taken her usual medication early and I knew the diuretic would have acted as she slept. (Important so she wouldn't get heart failure laying flat for the procedure). Mother was wheeled on her bed to the Operating Theatre and provision had already been made for me to attend, (dressed in a theatre gown). Praise God, I had two months previously been asked to do holiday relief in Theatre PACU (Recovery) and was working there at the time of Mother's Surgery (I did thankfully have her Surgery day off though)! My faith told me He had gone before us preparing the way for Mother.
The Theatre staff were wonderfully supportive. Mother was assisted onto the table and there was a place made for me to sit and hold her hand. Mother was draped with oxygen being feed under the drapes to assist her. The "handsome young surgeon" (Mother's description) spoke reassuringly to her throughout the procedure. The eye was anaesthetised. Mother kept very still and focused throughout. The procedure went well, with Mother's clouded lens scraped out under the microscope and a prosthetic lens implanted in it's place. The surgeon announced he had completed and the procedure went well. Mother's eye was dressed. The drapes were removed and I lent over to tell Mother we were finished. She beamed at everyone and I took her home to recover.
I don't know what zone Mother had entered during surgery because the next morning she told me that when I lent over and to tell her it was finished, Mother was thinking to herself "that's my daughter and she's all grown up. Old now . . like a mother"!!!! I'm just glad she didn't say it out loud before my colleagues.
Mother had her eye dressing removed and examination first thing the morning after surgery. Praise the Lord, instant improvement! Mother can now read three quarters of the eye chart without glasses with that eye. She is very pleased. Blessings to all those involved.
I woke Mother as time to go approached. Made sure she toileted so Mother could relax without worrying about that. She had taken her usual medication early and I knew the diuretic would have acted as she slept. (Important so she wouldn't get heart failure laying flat for the procedure). Mother was wheeled on her bed to the Operating Theatre and provision had already been made for me to attend, (dressed in a theatre gown). Praise God, I had two months previously been asked to do holiday relief in Theatre PACU (Recovery) and was working there at the time of Mother's Surgery (I did thankfully have her Surgery day off though)! My faith told me He had gone before us preparing the way for Mother.
The Theatre staff were wonderfully supportive. Mother was assisted onto the table and there was a place made for me to sit and hold her hand. Mother was draped with oxygen being feed under the drapes to assist her. The "handsome young surgeon" (Mother's description) spoke reassuringly to her throughout the procedure. The eye was anaesthetised. Mother kept very still and focused throughout. The procedure went well, with Mother's clouded lens scraped out under the microscope and a prosthetic lens implanted in it's place. The surgeon announced he had completed and the procedure went well. Mother's eye was dressed. The drapes were removed and I lent over to tell Mother we were finished. She beamed at everyone and I took her home to recover.
I don't know what zone Mother had entered during surgery because the next morning she told me that when I lent over and to tell her it was finished, Mother was thinking to herself "that's my daughter and she's all grown up. Old now . . like a mother"!!!! I'm just glad she didn't say it out loud before my colleagues.
Mother had her eye dressing removed and examination first thing the morning after surgery. Praise the Lord, instant improvement! Mother can now read three quarters of the eye chart without glasses with that eye. She is very pleased. Blessings to all those involved.
