Tag: ectopia lentis

children, eyesight, gratitude, happiness, health, humor, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Eye(mazing)

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boys play matchbox cars to pass the time at the ophthalmologist's

We are seated in the tiny eye exam room.  I am so beyond stressed that I actually feel kind of calm.

These visits to the pediatric ophthalmologist are not without uncertainty.

Will Full Speed test well?

Is T.Puzzle in a cooperative mood?

I try to convince myself it’s no big deal.  I mean only the future of my children’s vision is at stake here.

We wait for the eye doctor.

She breezes into the room with grace and confidence.

She clearly adores my boys.

This helps.

Full Speed is an unexpected rock star of vision testing.

He tests 20/40 in his right eye and 20/30 in his left.

I almost faint.

He then proceeds to read a line of print so teeny-tiny, I’m positive that only someone with superhuman eyesight could read it (no, it’s not that I’m old in the least and had to squint to read the line myself).

I almost faint again.

I get goosebumps on top of my goosebumps.  My heart fills with immeasurable gratitude.

It hardly phases me that T.Puzzle is mostly uncooperative.  He holds steady at 20/50 and 20/70.

I’ll take it.

During this arduous process of eye surgeries, doctor’s appointments and visits to the ophthalmologist, I have learned that I cannot control the level of vision that each of my boys will attain.

All I can control is how I feel about it.

And today for the first time in my life, I feel absolutely amazing about their vision.

This is one of the best days ever.

children, eyesight, gratitude, health, mommyhood, parenting, surgery

Smooth Sailing

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T.Puzzle came through his second surgery and all looks well with both his eyes.  The doc checked the first eye while he was under and it appears his prescription improved a couple diopters (yay!).  She also said that as he grows his prescription may improve even more.  Imagine that!  More good news about my child and/or children and their vision.  We’ve come along way from ‘legally blind‘ and ‘your baby’s vision is worse than his brother’s’ type of information sharing with medical professionals.  Hooray!

This is what 'happy juice' looks like.

The overall surgery experience was much like I expected.  He was absolutely miserable during the eye drop portion (as was I) and he woke up madder than a hornet’s nest from anesthesia.   Nothing a solid nap (for Mommy, too!) and Cheerios couldn’t solve.

He is so brave.

Love you, T.Puzzle!

T.Puzzle checks out his awesome surgical cap situation.
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children, eyesight, gratitude, health, mommyhood, parenting, surgery

Eye Will

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This week is still not so good.  I think it has less to do with my daily circumstances and more to do with the dark cloud of eye surgery hanging over T.Puzzle’s head.  I know the surgery is technically minor.  I know that his physical pain will be minimal, his psychic pain to be great, that holding him down for 12 eye drops in one eye to be my own personal nightmare and that T.Puzzle coming out of anesthesia can be likened to an angry bear awoken too soon from hibernation.  Aside from all that there is an expectation of hopefully improved vision for T.Puzzle, gratitude that there is someone in the world like Mad Dog to hold my hand through it all, and the life experience to know that whatever comes my way I will handle it.

Seriously, if I gave birth to two rambunctious dudes like Full Speed and T.Puzzle, I have to have at least a small percentage of tenacity in me, right?  Even if I only have a fraction of theirs, I’m going to be just fine (and so will they).

You can count on it.

 

T.Puzzle checks out the model train in the Children's Clinic lobby.

 

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children, eyesight, health, mommyhood, surgery

The Informant

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By the later afternoon, little T.Puzzle understood the necessity of keeping his eye shield in place. He also realized that he could make his way in the world without his glasses. It wasn’t ideal, but he could manage.

However, as bedtime approached he was adamant that he didn’t want to wear the shield to bed. Well, too bad because it’s doctor’s orders.

I turned to my greatest ally.

“Full Speed, make sure little T.Puzzle keeps his shield on at bedtime and through the night. You let Mom and Dad know if he tries to take it off.”

In this instance, it helps tremendously to have a big brother willing to rat his little brother out over the slightest infraction.

Full Speed shows T.Puzzle who’s in charge in a wrestling match a few weeks ago.

“Yes, ma’am!” Full Speed replied.

Full Speed was as good as his word and little T.Puzzle kept that shield in place all night.

One night down, several more to go.

With Full Speed on my side, I know we can do it!

children, eyesight, gratitude, mommyhood, surgery

Post-Op

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Little T.Puzzle plays with his portable Thomas track from Grandma in the waiting area.
Little T.Puzzle is confounded by the dot that marks his eye prepped for surgery.
The ride home after many tears and frustration over having to wear his eye shield.
Little T.Puzzle glares at me as I yet again admonish him from removing his eye shield. Once he ate some food, he was more compliant but his anger is still bubbling just under the surface.

Little T.Puzzle’s lens removal went smoothly. His recovery, not so much. He is younger then when his big brother went through this process and therefore it is harder for him to comprehend why he has to wear that pesky eye shield. He’s really mad, too, because his glasses won’t fit over it. I think he is experiencing more pain as well. He had more stray ‘strands’ surrounding the lense that had to be removed. The good news is that the lens  removal may help center his pupils. They are slightly off-center due to his ectopia lentis.

He is a trooper and I know tomorrow will be so much better.