5th and 6th fill up

5th fill up went well-ish. Sally was in the middle of a long operation and so she sent down her Registrar to do the fill up. He was more than medically capable of doing the fill up but as he had not been around to witness any of the other fill ups, he did not know our routine. Comments like "I bet you know what's coming" did not help the situation either. Also the fill up occurred a bit too quickly for the numbing cream to have worked and so Phoebe was not happy about the needle insertion. She cried alot and the Registrar (bless him) kept saying "Oh it's OK. There, there. Not long now. Just a bit more". Whereas Sally keeps very quiet and I try to keep my comments to a minimum and stay very calm. Funny how you get used to one way of doing things. Phoebe's eye is being pulled alot now. The lower lid is no where near her eye and I wonder how much more it can take.
6th fill up went poorly. For various reasons I had to take all 3 kids with me too. Phoebe and Freddie were both suffering from rather heavy colds. I just hoped that the medical professionals did not throw us all in quarentine when we arrived. Luckily Sally arrived to do the fill up. I think because Phoebe was not feeling herself she was hyper sensitive to the fillup. She started to cry the moment I put her on my knee and this week I had to restrain her during the fill up. I have to keep remembering that it takes literally 10-15 seconds and then it is all over so I hang onto Phoebe and hold her tight. She was very unhapppy about the whole thing, but as usual it took very little time for 'happy Phoebe' to return. As luck would have it Freddie fell asleep and was outside in the corridor, Henry however was in the room and I was concerned how he would react seeing his sister in such distress. I could not see him during the fill up but as soon as it was over I turned round and there was Henry madly craning his neck over Sally's shoulder to see the TV, totally and utterly oblivious. Kids hey?

A common situation
Later, on the way to the hospital sweet shop (a weekly ritual) for our lollipop, we came across a granny. She was full of questions about Phoebe's appearance. Hard to give even the most basic of answers when together for a 5 second lift ride to the ground floor. Still, she kept on about Phoebe's distorted eye, had Phoebe been burnt etc the usual stuff. I tried to be evasive but at the same time reasuring. As we left the lift she turned round looked at Phoebe and did a huge shiver while pulling a 'bad-smell-under-her-nose' face. I'm sure those reading this would never do that but just for the record next time you see anyone with a visual difference, think very carefully about how you react. Here endeth the lesson!

4th fill up - round 2

All went well again this time. Sally is so quick and Phoebe so relaxed there is hardly any fuss made at all.

However, the expander is now pulling at the lower lid of Phoebe's left eye so much though, that Sally thinks there will be only 2-3 more fill ups possible before we cannot go any further. We have to be very carfeul of infection as the lower lid no longer touches the eye and if the eye looks even slightly red then we have to administer an antibiotic cream. Try getting cream into a lively 2 year olds eye - now that's more trouble than the fill up.

Phoebe has developed a terrible cold. It seems to effect the expander site. It is very red and very hot. Phoebe has made a couple of references to her cheek, but we have decided to play down the matter and our responses are fleeting. This is not to say that every given opportunity I steal a look at her cheek to see if it has gone any redder. Am not sure why this happens.

3rd fill up - round 2

All went well this time round. The best yet. Phoebe and I have this thing sussed. We nearly bowled over the surgeon afterwards in our rush to get out of the door! Fill up? What fill up? 10mls in again.

2nd fill up and something special

This weeks fill up went the best yet. Despite our 2 hour wait for Sally to get out of surgery, Phoebe (and I) played and ran around the Out Patients rooms and corridors. Phoebe grizzled during the fill up but no tears fell. I wondered if previously I have been holding her too tightly and half her displeasure was at being restrained. So I held Phoebe's arms, firmly not tightly. Phoebe stopped crying before they even removed the needle from the port. As most will know restraining any child, regarldess of reason, they do not like it and will more often than not, buck and kick to be released. Perhaps we have been making matters much worse by restraining Phoebe so tightly she is already put in panic mode. Who knows. 10mls went in and 2 minutes later we were running out the door and Phoebe was doing her usual "Bye!" to everyone and anyone.
Phoebe turned 2 today. Our gorgeous, precious, extra special little darling has been lighting up our lives for 2 years. Wow. Here she is on her new Trike.