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The other day Jared was home for his usual siesta and the phone rang. Like the actual house phone. We never get calls on that phone. He picks it up and it's Kody. Apparently he was playing in the sand box at school and the wind blew and got some sand in his eye. He wants to come home. I get on the phone (because we all know that Jared will let our kids get away with murder if I let him) and tell Kody that he has to go back to class. He cries, tells me how bad it hurts, blah blah blah... I decide to think quick and make a deal with him: Go back to class and if it still hurts in a half hour- I'll come get him.

I hang up the phone and go back to enjoying whats left of siesta. Five minutes later, phone rings again. It's the school nurse this time. They have tried to flush his eye out 3 times, he's still in pain, we need to come get him. We get to the school and the poor kids face is puffy and bright red on one side. Who beat my kid up?!? We get home, and I tell him he has to take a nap. 2 minutes later- the kids sound asleep on my bed. 3:30 pm he wakes up with an even worse looking face. We attempt to do homework, dinner, etc... and then the real whining starts. It hurts reeeeaaallly bad and wont stop watering. I ask Jared what I should do. Not that I will really take his opinion into consideration, but I wanted him to confirm the feelings I have that I should take him in to Urgent Care. He says he'll be fine and not to worry. Instead- I worry. Something isn't right and I can't shake the feeling that he needs to be seen. I call my mom to get her opinion- no answer. Then Jason and Stephanie come over and I ask their opinion. Jason and Jared obviously share more than just the same DNA because he gave me the same answer as Jared. Without hesitation Steph tells me she'd take him in. That's all I needed. Confirmation. Another woman. Another mom. Decisions made- we get in the car and head to Kaiser.



We're seen right away by the doctor and she decides to check his eye for any scratches. I had told Kody nothing was going to hurt him so when the doctor pulls out the eye drops and says "This may hurt just a little" I think I lost some validity.

After dying his eye yellow and looking at it under this special light, she confirms he has some abrasions. Not only that, but he still had sand in his eye too and all that rubbing he was doing was causing more abrasions. He had to have his eye "flushed" again. I told her they tried at school and she asked Kody how they flushed it. He says "I cupped my hand under water at the drinking fountain and blinked a few times." Note to any parent reading this **that does not count as "flushing"** She proceeds to show us to the "Special Procedure" room.

They call in another nurse who sets up everything she'll need. She turns around when we walk in and she asks how old Kody is. I tell her 8 and she begins to tell me (in front of Kody) that most adults don't tolerate this well, and she doesn't think he will be able to sit through the procedure. When I asked her if there was another option, she said no. Bring on the flushing then. They give Kody some drops to "sedate" his eye while they get the device in his eye. The medication will only last a few minutes so they have to act quick. I still have no idea what the "device" is. Probably for the best. After they get his head comfortably wrapped in towels, they pull it out...

It's called a Morgan Lens. It's basically a giant rubber contact lens with a tube sticking out of it which is attached to an IV bag which will flow through the eye. They open his eye really wide and get it in. Not much struggle and he's being such a trooper. Only problem is that once the IV starts- the "numbing" medication is washed away within a few minutes. At which point- Kody will start to feel everything.

Within the first few drops- he begged, pleaded and cried for me to take this thing out. The nurse started the IV and told me she'd be back in a few minutes. I ask her how much fluid we have to get in his eye and she tells me the whole IV bag. 1000 mls. WOW-that's a lot. Especially when you're in pain and you're 8. I sing, I dance, I take pictures, I do anything I can to distract him from what he's going through. Pure torture. I finally tell him that for every second I count to- I'll give him a dollar. We've got a deal. 1...2.......3.........4............................5.......................................6..... this is going to get expensive! I tried a few times to tell him a story and delay the counting but he would cry and remind me of the number I left off at. Around 900 mls- I am so excited-we were almost done!! $157 later- the nurse comes back in to take out the device and patch him up. Literally. Doctor comes in and tell me he'll be as good as gold tomorrow. I hope so.

The flushing must have worked because the kiddo woke up the next morning and was totally fine. No red face, no puffiness. Nothing. Just $157 richer!!