Nightmare at the doctor's office.

I really try not to complain, but after spending over 4 hours at the eye doctor yesterday I will have to let it rip. Our appointment was at 2:30 which we arrived at 2:15 to fill out paper work, I was impressed for our second day out with twins. I remember when I could barely get myself to places on time. Anyways, by the time I stood in line to check in, filled out at least 4 sheets of papers for each girl then stood in line again to turn in the papers to the receptionist it was past 3. The girls usually eat at 2:00 so my mom started feeding Juliette while I was filling out the gobs of papers. We waited in the waiting room for a while, which was pretty full of other patients coming and going. Someone called us and we went to a room where he asked for medical info on the girls then he explained he needed to dilate their eyes. He said that with adults we can get one big drop and then they can do the exam, but with babies they have to spread it out over 3 different intervals. He applied the first drop then we went back out to the waiting room. Now imagine me the woman who never leaves the house with these girls and is keeping visitors away because I don't want them to get RSV or anything else sitting in the waiting room for hours with them while people (nicely) gawk at them. Only one person touched Juliette and it only happened because I was in the bathroom. When I came back my mom whispered to me that the man across the room touched her two fingers. I quickly grabbed some hand sanitizer and rubbed it on her hand. I know, I know I am probably too paranoid, but can you blame me?

Now I understand that the eye drops had to be administered in 3 different intervals, but it would have been nice to know all this ahead of time. I should have pumped at 3:00, so by the time the eye drops were done and we were seen by the doctor I was way overdue and very miserable. I had my pump along with two extra bottles for the girls (I brought just in case) , but I left it in the car because I never imagined it was going to take that long. It was ten til five when they took us to the room to see the doctor and the girl said "The doctor will be right in, you're next." I don't know what her idea of right in was, but it was almost thirty minutes WHICH FELT LIKE FOREVER! I kept telling my mom "I hope we never have to come back" The girls were due to eat at five, but I didn't want to leave to go get the bottles and miss the doctor so we decided to wait since we were next.

Once the doctor came in he walked in with out an introduction and fumbled through their charts, mumbling to himself. Then he said who will be first? My mom took Caroline to the table, he put in some numbing medication and then said the lights and pressure will still bother her as he cranked her right eye open with a speculum and started probing a metal device that looked like a Q-tip around her eye. She started screaming, it broke my heart so much then he had to do it to the other eye. When he was done, I picked her up right away. Then it was Juliette's turn, she didn't scream as bad. When he was done he said everything looked good, but because they were premature and on oxygen they would have to come back one more time. Premature babies are at risk for retinal detachment which can cause blindness. Deep down inside I was screaming NO! But you gotta do what you gotta do so we have another appointment in 2 weeks. At least this time I will be more prepared with my pump and bottles.

When we left I decided to try to to breastfeed the girls in the car while in a parking lot since the milk in the bottles were cold, to try to relieve some of my pressure off me, to comfort them and to feed them. Caroline did awesome, but Juliette could care less. My mom had to help me since I didn't have my special pillow to hold them up. It was quite hilarious. It was dark and no one around in the spot we were in plus I was using my nursing cover up but I didn't really care after all we had been through. I was disappointed too because I was planning on going by the NICU to say hi to the nurses and doctors and show them how well the girls were, but since it was going on 6:00 when we got done I all I could do was go straight to the car.

On a positive note we got to use our double stroller for the first time. I was so glad Randall insisted on putting it together yesterday morning. It was awesome and a lifesaver, much easier to haul everyone and everything around compared to the first day. It's a tandem, not a side by side so we looked like a train coming down the hall, but it was great since this office was at the hospital on the second floor. It has attachments to put the girls car seats on it. I kept them covered to keep the wind and people from getting them when on our way to and from the office.

So that was our horror story at the eye doctor, thanks for letting me vent. Hopefully, next time it will be better since I will know what to expect this time.