Anthony Update

Here's a note from Ana with more details about Anthony's surgery yesterday.

WE LEFT THE HOSPITAL A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND ANTHONY IS DOING FINE :) HE IS NOT INTUBATED ANYMORE, HE IS BACK ON THE CANULA AND THEY WILL GRADUALLY TRY TO WEEN THE OXYGEN DOWN BACK TO WHERE HE WAS AT 0.025 LITER.

WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL THIS MORNING AROUND 9:00AM. ANTHONY WAS A BIT FUSSY SINCE HE HAD NOT EATEN SINCE 4:00AM. WE SIGNED SEVERAL CONSENTS THAT SCARED THE HECK OUT OF US. HENRY AND I TRIED TO MAINTAIN OUR COMPOSURE BUT I COULDN'T HOLD IT IN ANYMORE AND SO I CRIED LIKE A BABY. THEY TELL YOU SO MANY TERRIBLE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN THAT JUST MAKE YOU SO NERVOUS. JUST AS ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN PASSED BY, AND NURSE SOULA GRABBED HER AND WE SAID A PRAYER FOR ANTHONY. GOD WORKS IN WONDERFUL WAYS AND SENDS SPECIAL PEOPLE JUST IN TIME.

ANTHONY WENT DOWN TO SURGERY...HENRY AND I WAITED...IT TOOK ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES AND DR.CIVANTOS CAME TO TALK TO US. HE SAID THE SURGERY WENT WELL AND THAT EVERYTHING HAD GONE ACCORDING TO PLAN. WHAT A RELIEF!!! ANTHONY HAD LASER SURGERY ON BOTH EYES, CAUTERIZING THE VESSELS THAT WERE GROWING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WHICH COULD CAUSE THE RETINA TO DETACH. THIS IS CAUSED BY HIS PREMATURITY AND THE PROLONGED USE OF OXYGEN. ANTHONY WILL CONTINUE TO GET CHECKED FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS WHICH ARE THE CRITICAL ONES, AFTER THAT HE SHOULD BE FINE IF EVERYTHING HEALS PROPERLY AND NO CHANGES OCCUR. SO PLEASE KEEP PRAYING, GOD IS LISTENING AND RESPONDING!

ANTHONY'S EYES ARE PRETTY SWOLLEN RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S NORMAL FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS. THE DOCTOR WILL BE BACK ON FRIDAY TO CHECK HIM AGAIN. WE REALLY WON'T KNOW IF HE WILL NEED GLASSES YET UNTIL HE GETS A BIT OLDER OR IF THERE WAS LOSS OF PERIFERAL VISION. THIS CAN'T BE DETERMINED YET, ONLY TIME WILL TELL. DR. CIVANTOS SAID HE BELIEVES ANTHONY CAN SEE JUST FINE BECAUSE ALL HIS STRUCTURES ARE NORMAL AND THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE HE CAN'T SEE. I KNOW HE HATES THE FLASH ON OUR CAMERA, HE GETS PRETTY UPSET EVERY TIME WE USE IT, GRUMPY PANTS :)

HE WILL GRADUALLY START BACK UP ON HIS FEEDINGS. HE WEIGHS 5LBS. 12.5OZ.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRAYERS AND GOD BLESS!!!