How’s Chase?

Morning Rounds
The medical team came in for morning rounds and the mood in the room was notably different from yesterday. Chase is visibly improved.

Chase’s Condition:
The team was visibly encouraged the moment they saw him. The swelling across his entire face is down significantly from yesterday. His left eye — the one operated on last night — looks dramatically better. His right eye, which had also become swollen from the spreading infection, is also improving. His personality is coming back.

Why Both Eyes Were Affected:
The team offered an explanation for why Chase’s right eye had also swollen despite the infection being centered on the left. The tissue and lymphatic system in this region allows swelling to spread easily from one side to the other. As the pressure on the left side decreases following surgery, the right side is now naturally decompressing as well. The antibiotics are also helping significantly.

A Note on Chase’s Age and Immune System:
The attending ENT doctor, the one who operated on him yesterday, offered an interesting observation — at 15, Chase has an exceptionally strong immune system. While this is ultimately working in his favor, it also partially explains the dramatic and rapid progression of his infection. The pus and swelling the team has been managing is largely his own immune system’s white blood cells flooding the area to fight the infection — a powerful but double-edged response.

The Braces and MRI Question:
The team revisited the question of removing Chase’s braces to enable a clearer MRI if needed. Given how well he is progressing, the team does not feel strongly about pursuing this today. However they agreed it would be prudent to find out how much lead time orthodontics would need to remove the brackets — so that if imaging becomes necessary over the weekend, they are not caught flat-footed. The team noted that dentistry likely requires approximately 72 hours notice, and that the weekend adds further complexity.

Plan for Today:
Today is a rest day. The plan is straightforward — continue IV antibiotics, monitor both eyes closely, and let Chase recover. Importantly Chase has been cleared to eat and drink again, which is a meaningful milestone after being NPO since yesterday. The team agreed that food will help his recovery.

Follow Up:
The infectious disease attending will return Monday. A covering physician will check in tomorrow. The ophthalmology team will also follow up to conduct a full vision test on the right eye, which has not yet been formally tested.