10/29/11

The eye has it

I saw her on the basketball court, starting to rub her eye. She came off the court, still rubbing. Crap, she's gotten something in her eye. "Stop rubbing" I whispered under my breath as if she could hear me on the court.

She sat on the sidelines, rub, rub, rub. Then she took the locker room keys and left the gym. Okay, she's going to go get whatever it is out of her eye. "Good grief, what kind of cheap toilet paper crap is she about to stick in her eye?"

Quickly...too quickly, she's back. And, she's really upset. I'm not watching the game anymore. The coach tries to deal with her and then, I hear it. I hear what it is impossible for me to hear. The gym is loud. The game is exciting. And, over the din, I hear "Are your dads here?" And, I was on my feet, ramrod straight, mustering all the "presence" I have so the coach will see me.

And, when her eyes hit mine, I move. Down. Fast. One step after the other.

When I get to Sydney, she's pretty hysterical. Blubbering gibberish is all I hear. But, I know that every parental eye in that gym is on me. (What will the gay dad do???) No way I can get any control over her there in the gym. So, I look up in the stands and my eyes hit Rob and there he comes. Fast.

We take Sydney out in the hall. "Take two deep breaths and tell me what happened."

And, we wait because she knows I won't listen until she does what I said.

And, she starts. Blah, blah, blah details that I didn't hear about the play "and then some girl stuck her finger in my eye and for a second I lost vision but then it came back and then (substitute girl's name that I don't remember) screamed at me that I had blood in my eye. And, I couldn't get in the locker room to see..."

"Stop. Hold your head up. Look up."

And, indeed, just behind the lower lid, there is a spot of blood under the surface of the eye that's about as big around as the lead of an old fashioned wood pencil. "Okay, it's not so bad. Does it hurt?"

"No, I want to go back to the game."

"Calm down. I just need you to take a couple of breaths and calm down. Your blood pressure is high and that's just going to make it worse."

"You're stressing me out. I want to go back to the game." We are on the verge of hyperventilation.

"You can go back to the game as soon as you calm down."

Rob got involved then.

And, she calmed down and she went back to the game.

That night, I looked at it a couple of times and gave her a tylenol. She woke up the next morning and said it hurt, but she said the longer she was awake, the less it hurt, so I gave her an ibuprophen and sent her to school.

About four hours later, she called me and in her most pitiful voice (okay, if you have a daughter, you know that voice that sounds on the verge of tears and is nature's way of making sure parents take care of kids) "can you bring me an ibuprophen? My eye hurts."

The medical book says:

Blood spot in the eye with no pain, wait until it goes away. Blood spot in the eye with pain, see the doctor NOW.

[Okay, I confess to a bit of poetic license. I actually checked the medical book before I sent her to school. But, it fit in the plot better here.]

I called our doctor...can you believe that I share the same GP with my daughter? That sounds wierd, huh? Anyway, they suggest the optometrist. So, I call my O.D. and he's out of town for a couple of weeks. They refer me to the one that I saw when my O.D. was in Iraq a couple years ago.

Call them. They will fit her in. No, they don't have an appointment, but for this, the doctor will absolutely see her. But they're only open until 12:30. Time now, 11:40. We will be there in 10 minutes. And, we were. And, a lady heard us come in and came out and got us through the paperwork and got us in and an hour and a half later, and a hundred and forty dollars poorer, we're having burgers for lunch.

The girl removed a good bit of epidermis (translate for Sydney "she scratched the skin off"). No damage to the inside of the eye, just to the surface. It will heal just fine. Only risk is infection, so some eyedrops and alternate tylenol and ibuprophen until it stops hurting.

I could have taken her back to school after that. She could have gone to world history and spanish and choir and theater. But, I wanted her with me. So, we came home and ate and painted cabinet doors and then I quilted and she did her thing.

Here. Nearby. Where I needed her to be.

So, that's been our end of week. How 'bout yours?

Lane

15 comments:

Laura said...

Oi. Well, I'm glad Syd's okay! I got my share of broken fingers in basketball games growing up, but was never eye-poked!

I've just been dealing with tired, cranky babies! The three-year-old was in fine put-me-to-bed mode yesterday, with three tantrums over getting dressed and her hair combed... in which she gained nothing but an implacable adult who insisted that yes, she must change out of her PJS, must put on the jeans her Mommy sent, and she must have her hair combed and pulled out of her face. I'm the meanest Auntie in the universe! ;) Luckily, things got better after that!

Becky said...

Poor Sydney. I'm glad it is nothing worse, but it is uber painful to have something wrong with your eye! And you did the right thing....going home for a quiet afternoon....together. Love you, Lane. You are a super parent!

Seraphinalina said...

You are such a good dad. Seriously.

Marla said...

You did good Lane. You are a good daddy. I was thinking maybe she had a scratched cornea or something. I did that with hard contact lenses about a million years ago and that was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had.

Patricia said...

I gotta tell you, your story brought tears of joy to my eye. As you know I have five children (all grown) and 7 grandchildren (NO I am not really old---just was a young parent). I also have spent the majority of my career (I teach nursing now) working with parents who aren't so nice to their babies---trying to help them to understand the importance of good parenting/taking care of their chilren and how important that is in so many ways to the emotional well-being of kids and their children. You and Rob are wonderful!!!! May I use you as an example in my lectures?

Big hugs all around! So glad your baby girl is okay. Isn't it amazing how as parents we have super-vision and hearing :c)!

Tanit-Isis said...

Oh, poor Sydney! But well-handled on your part. My youngest had a black eye last year that turned half her eye blood red---but no pain and it went away on its own, thankfully. It was quite freaky while it lasted, though.

Around here it's pretty typical for everyone in a family to share their family doctor. My kids would only see a pediatrician if they were referred for some particular condition.

lindaroo said...

Your tenderness toward Sydney comes through so sweetly in your writing. Thank you for sharing your conscientious parenting. I hope that anyone who was watching to see "what will the gay dad do?" got a lesson in doing it well. And kudos to Rob, too, both parents involved and together!

Shevvy said...

Ah, I had visions of something awful being wrong. I'm so glad Sydney is ok. Did she get deliberately poked in the eye? What a cow the other girl is if she did!

lw said...

Thank God the girl missed her cornea. It'll heal, and Syd will know that no matter what happens, her dads will take care of her.

Mary5 said...

>>>But, I wanted her with me. <<< That is the good that'll come out of this. Make sure she knows that...understands you love her like that. ~Oh, my heart.~

My week. Let's say I got a "Benign" that sure did sound good. Man, I hate biopsies even though I know it is dumb to worry.

19yo ds bought a car after his "friend" wrecked his. Ds biked to work for months (or, should I say through lakes of rain).

EVERYONE looks at EVERYONE (gay or not) when a kid is harmed or freaked out, AND *EVERYONE* feels like they are being judged. It takes a WHOLE LOT for someone to be judged a rotten parent. Because there are SUCH horrid parents out there. ): But, I wonder if they also look for the same reason I'd have liked to have been there...to see a GOOD example, or maybe to help even.

Praying Sydney's eye heals well~
Lucy~

Lynette said...

Good call, spending the rest of the day together. :) Poor Sydney. I hope eye stops hurting right away.

Coloradolady said...

This post made my heart sing! Oh, Lane you are such a wonderful parent......far better than many who give birth themselves!! What a fantastic thing you did that afternoon!!!

I can just imagine all eyes on you as you went in to rescue your baby bird....I can only imagine lots of nods of approval. I am so sure it was nerve wracking but still a great moment.

Poor Sydney, hope she is feeling better by today....basketball is such a touchy sport and there are lots of chances for contact. Hope this is all she has to endure for the season!!

Keeping Sydney in my thoughts....hope she feels better soon!

woolywoman said...

awwwww. nothing like hanging out at home when you are sick with your dad...glad she was OK!

Yvonne B. said...

"Here. Nearby. Where I needed her to be" Belive it or not She may have needed to be with you. Just not able to say it out loud. Good call,.

Tammy said...

A huge parent bouquet for taking care of Sydney when she needed you. I'm so glad you were at the game and took her to the doctor the next day. The bond between parent and child gets cemented solid with incidents like this. Sydney knows she can depend on you and Rob. You are both great dads.