Thursday, November 17, 2016

MRI & Eye Exam Results

Friday was mri day. We checked in at radiology at 12:30, and the mri was scheduled for 1:00. Collin couldn't eat anything after midnight Thursday. Since he couldn't eat, I didn't either, so by 1:00 I was not feeling very well. I'm sure he wasn't either, but as always, he never once complained or asked when he could eat.


The radiology nurse and the anesthesiologist went over the usual paperwork and consent forms. I asked them twice to get me from the waiting room before he woke up; Collin was anxious and needed repeated reassurance that I wasn't going to leave him, and I hoped to talk to Dr. Ely after she did the sedated eye exam following the mri. As always, Collin was also a little anxious about the induction mask, but we talked about it multiple times, and he chose the chapstick scent he wanted on the inside of the mask (chocolate and peanut butter cup, which I thought was torture since we were starving, lol!) When they were ready to put him to sleep, he bravely climbed on the table and lay down. I held the induction mask and spoke softly to him as he went to sleep at 1:40. 


We were scheduled to be seen in the oncology clinic at 3:00 pm. At 3:30, I was still in the mri waiting room, wondering what was taking so long. There is no phone reception there, but I got a notification of a voice mail. When I checked it, it was Amy, one of the nurse practitioners from the clinic. She said she saw that Collin was in recovery, but because of the time, they needed to reschedule his clinic appointment to Monday. I called her back and left a message, and then I walked down to where Collin was. I walked in, and he was sitting up in the bed, awake, and crying because I wasn't there. I was MAD. I reminded them that I had asked twice for them to get me BEFORE he woke up. The nurse said she was the only one there so she wasn't able to leave, but she called down to the waiting area and was told I wasn't there. I told her no one had come into the waiting room once looking for me. I don't know where the communication breakdown occurred, but next time I will not wait for them to get me, I will go back to mri on my own when I know he should be finished. Next time, Collin will be more anxious before the mri because he won't trust that I'll be there when he wakes up. 


I'm happy to report that the mri showed no evidence of disease! This means Collin has been clear of disease for four years now. He's been off treatment for three years. 


Dr. Ely said the eye exam showed that his astigmatism is definitely worse, so she wrote a new prescription for his glasses. As far as his cataracts, the one in the left eye isn't low enough to block his vision at this time. The one in the right eye is lower, but she was able to see behind it with her light, so she says that means he should still be able to see through it.

At this time Dr. Ely is not ready to remove the cataracts yet; for now, we'll get the new glasses, continue patching at home, and she will re-evaluate him in January.


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