We returned to Melbourne on Wednesday the 17th of July for another round of IAC. Again, we arrived in the morning and met with the oncologist in the afternoon. We had a few hours to kill in the afternoon so we walked to the Melbourne museum, which has a great kids sensory play area. Isla HAD A BALL there!!
Melbourne Museum
That evening we went back to Ronald McDonald house and got some uber eats for dinner.
The next morning we headed over to the hospital for a 7am admission and waited while Isla was admitted and prepared for her procedure. Our normal eye doctors and Sandra were all away this month and we DEFINITELY noticed the difference. Nobody spoke to us after the EUA to let us know how her eyes were looking. We didn’t find out anything until we were in recovery with Isla and the radiologists spoke to us about the IAC. They had got in again, but unfortunately Isla moved at some point during the infusion (a very light sedation is used) and the catheter was knocked out of the ophthalmic artery. They are not x-raying the entire time to see the position of the catheter, so they don’t really know at what point this happened. So some of the second drug was not delivered directly to the ophthalmic artery this time. The radiologists said that they believed the tumour looked much the same as last month, but Dr Elder would review the images and give us a call once he has had a look.
There was no bed booked in the hospital for us this month, so it took some time for them to eventually find a bed for us - just another thing that seems to fall apart when Sandra is away! We eventually got a bed and got settled in our room. Isla vomited after the general anaesthetic, but started feeling better later that evening. Dr Elder called that afternoon and confirmed that there was very little change in the tumour, which was a little disheartening. However, there was also nothing new, so that was good.
Garreth stayed the night in hospital with Isla again and I went back to our room at Ronald McDonald house. After cleaning and checking out of our room I headed back to the hospital in the morning. We had to wait a while for the Drs to come see us and discharge us in the morning, but we got there eventually. We only had a couple of hours until our taxi booking so we just went for a walk around the parklands and played on the playground until it was time to head to the airport.
Parklands and Playground outside Royal Children's Hospital
Isla is always instantly happier as soon as we step outside the hospital and she knows it’s time to go home.
© Alison Davey 2021
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