Friday was a fretful day for me, waiting to hear from my baby doll before he was set to go into the hospital for his surgery. I was not able to get in touch with him earlier in the day, so when the phone rang with a double ring (meaning it's a call from off island) around 10 pm island time (5 am Alabama time), I felt anxious and relieved at the same time. It was good to talk to my darling, although he was very, very sleepy and definitely not his usual chatty self, so I asked him if he had used up the hundred pocketful of kisses I gave him for safe keeping before he left, and he said, "Yes," so, of course, I gave him 100 more over the phone to get him through the surgery. I wasn't sure what else to do since I couldn't simply sit next to him on the ride to the hospital and hug and hold him, so I did what generally comes to mind when I don't have words anymore, we gave it all over to God in prayer. This is something I learned from my mom, to turn to God in prayer, whenever and wherever needed and definitely when you feel there's nothing else you can do in your human strength to get through something. I've lived very far away from home for over 14 years now, and during some of my toughest years here, when I'd call mom to ask for answers to questions and challenges that didn't have an immediate answer or solution, she always suggested we pray. Funny thing is, when the prayers were done, peace reigned...the tired eyes from crying too long and the feeling of panic in my chest melted away in the quiet of my mom's prayers from over 6,000 miles away. That's the power of God, and I know he was watching over my baby today.
Several hours after the phone prayers, when I awoke to begin getting myself and my oldest son ready for work and school, we called again, since it was early afternoon in Alabama, and my youngest was most certainly out of surgery and at home resting by then. At that time, we learned that everything went well, and all my anxieties of the week were suddenly lifted. There's no guarantee he will be able to see out of that eye yet because if he has really had the cataract since birth (and there is no way to be sure of that either), his receptors may never have developed properly to allow sight in and may not be able to do so now, but at least we know we've done what we can, and either way, he'll adjust. The next couple of weeks and months will be interesting to see unfold as Mr. Gant will have to start trying to strengthen his left eye by patching the right one 8-9 hours a day, that is, if they determine in the next couple of weeks that his receptors are in fact able to provide some sight in his eye without the offending "cloud" over his lens now. He will not be able to be active for a couple of weeks or play any type of sports for at least 6 months, but if this means he will eventually be able to see out of both eyes, I'm sure it will be well worth the effort put in now, and my Mr. Gant is the most determined child I have ever met, so if anyone can do it, he can and will, even if it's just to prove everyone else wrong. He loves to be right and will tell you something is black when it is actually white!! :) So, I figure we only have to get him to believe he can see out of that eye, even if he cannot, and he will go along with it and make it happen.
At any rate, when I spoke with him this morning (Saturday, here on the island), he was in very good spirits, and he told me that he didn't even know they had done the surgery, and it didn't hurt at all. He was most excited about them wheeling his whole bed from the hospital room to the operating room, and then asking him what flavor he liked of the choices they gave, to which he replied, "Bubble Gum," and he took a few breaths (which he demonstrated for me on the telephone), and he doesn't remember the rest! Wow, I wish the anesthesia they put me under with when I had an emergency C-section with him smelled like bubble gum! I guess they save the bubble gum bliss for little ones...Thanks to all of you who sent up prayers for my baby, and I'll keep you posted on his progression as he begins looking through his eyes into a whole new world.
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