A successful surgery, one more to go?

 
 
 Michael and I (his mom) spend the last ten days in Palo Alto, CA for some follow-up surgery.  Since we spent so much time there last spring, the place was very familiar.  Michael even remembered how to find his way around between the VA Hospital and the Blind Rehab.

Here is Michael waiting for his turn to go into surgery.  He reciently was able to get an ipad and has loved it.  It takes a lot of time to navigate through all the programs on it and figure out how to upload apps for it.  I have to say I have been very impressed with his patience.  Patient is not an adjective I would have used for him once upon a time.  I am witnessing many honorable aspects of his character that I did not know were there.

The surgery consisted of rebuilding the left eye socket so it will eventually be able to hold a prosthetic eye.  Skin was removed from inside his mouth to use to build the socket , also, some rocks were removed that were imbeded in his mouth, forhead, and beside his nose.  Before this surgery was scheduled, Michael said he didn't want to go through any more operations so he was fine with the way he was.  I insisted that it would be better to finish the process and let  the doctors do all they could to repair everything.  So when it was me that was by his side when he came out of surgery and was in so much pain, he would not give me a thumbs up.  Oh well, one of those things he will thank me for some day I'm sure.

We had to wait for at least a week for a follow-up visit with the surgen so we had some down time.  He spent a lot of time on the phone with wife, Jesse, and with the ipad.

Michael loves the Guitar Center and goes to the one in Albuquerque whenever he can.  I was able to find one on the map not far from where we were in Palo Alto so I offered to take him there one day.  Again Michael showed great patience as I drove here and there and all over trying to find the place.  I swear  on the map it looked so easy.  But anyway, we found it.

Our time there worked for Michael's benefit cause he was able to go to two Christmas parties.  Here he is at the Blind Center listening in on some entertainment.

This Christmas party was at a restaruant with the local chapter of the American Legion.  Michael was by far the youngest person there but the people were nice and very entertaining to him in many ways.

We also went to San Francisco for another visit to the ocularist who made Michael's right eye.  The eye he has needed to be polished and adjusted and then a spare needed to be made.  Michael has been stewing for months trying to decide what he wanted to have on his spare eye.  I think it has been mentioned here before, well his time was up and he had to make a decision and up to the last minute he was debating with himself.

Here the ocularist is penciling in the design Michael requested.  Michael was really hoping to be able to wear the new eye out of there with his old one in his pocket, but in spite of being there most of the day, we ran out of time.  So it should be arriving in the mail some time this week.  I'll wait to tell you what it is when I can show you a picture.  Knowing Michael, I think you will find it fits him.

 This is the view right outside the VA Hospital in San Francisco.  It was cloudy but beautiful.

Waiting for the final visit with the surgeon .  Michael was helping him out by taking off the bandages himself.

  Right now there is a conformer in Michael's eye socket and the eyelid stitched shut.  He will have to come back at the end of January to check on progress and maybe remove stitches.

Can't wait to show you his new eye! Thanks for reading.