To date, we have successfully removed and put the contacts back in by ourselves TWICE.
Jack has successfully removed his own contact lens once. Yikes. Hopefully, that was a fluke. He was on his playmat and I happened to catch him rubbing his eye. I leaned down to stop him and there was the contact sitting on his nose. That's one expensive toy he has found!
Getting the contacts out is a million times easier than getting them in, which is the total opposite of what we expected. I now know why God gave me such tiny hands. Jack is actually a willing participant when it comes to taking them out, but getting them in is tricky. It does help to catch him in a good mood. We've tried it while he's eating, playing on his mat, or right when he wakes up and seems the most cooperative. I do have faith that he will get used to it - it's already twice as easy to get them out.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Contacts...oh MY!
It is incredibly difficult to keep glasses on a 4 month old.
It is a ZILLION times harder to put contacts in their eyes. Wow! When we first found out about the cataracts, Jack was only 10 weeks old. He didn't have head control and was pretty laid back. In the 6 weeks since, he's gained muscle, weight, head control, and the ability to squirm out of any situation.
We went to get his contacts put in today. They are a better option - he can lay awake at night with them and they are a stronger prescription. It took me, a nurse, the doctor and a bottle. He screamed down the house. The left one went in with no problem but the right one went in and went missing. We looked all over the floor before the doctor decided it must be lost in his eye. After some numbing drops, a speculum to hold his eye open (gag) and a Qtip, she was able to slide it into place.
After all this commotion, I started to doubt our ability to do it on our own and asked her where she lived and if there were houses for sale in her neighborhood. I think she thought I was kidding. Of course, she and her husband are both extremely successful doctors, so she probably had a good chuckle when I left that I ever thought I could live in her neighborhood!
Anyways, all is well. The contacts are in and we have our little boy back. What a difference it makes to be able to sit and play with him and not wasting time moving the silly glasses. We are very nervous to try it on our own this weekend, but will definitely post with the story of that endeavor!
It is a ZILLION times harder to put contacts in their eyes. Wow! When we first found out about the cataracts, Jack was only 10 weeks old. He didn't have head control and was pretty laid back. In the 6 weeks since, he's gained muscle, weight, head control, and the ability to squirm out of any situation.
We went to get his contacts put in today. They are a better option - he can lay awake at night with them and they are a stronger prescription. It took me, a nurse, the doctor and a bottle. He screamed down the house. The left one went in with no problem but the right one went in and went missing. We looked all over the floor before the doctor decided it must be lost in his eye. After some numbing drops, a speculum to hold his eye open (gag) and a Qtip, she was able to slide it into place.
After all this commotion, I started to doubt our ability to do it on our own and asked her where she lived and if there were houses for sale in her neighborhood. I think she thought I was kidding. Of course, she and her husband are both extremely successful doctors, so she probably had a good chuckle when I left that I ever thought I could live in her neighborhood!
Anyways, all is well. The contacts are in and we have our little boy back. What a difference it makes to be able to sit and play with him and not wasting time moving the silly glasses. We are very nervous to try it on our own this weekend, but will definitely post with the story of that endeavor!
Monday, October 18, 2010
A little bump in the road
On the Thursday after Jack's second surgery, we noticed a strange red dot on his eyeball. We called the doctor and she didn't seem too concerned. It was more than likely just a bruise from where she gave him an injection. She told us to watch it and if it got worse to call her back.
Well, the next morning, it had moved. It looked like it was headed towards his cornea so we gave her a call. It was her surgery day, so luckily she picked up. She told us we had to be there by 9:00am (it was 8 and Jack and I were still lying in bed!) We all got dressed and jumped in the car. Unfortunately, the hospital where she was is on the other side of town, and of course there was an accident on the main highway we needed to take in order to get there.
We pulled up at 8:59, David pulled up and I grabbed Jack out of his carseat and ran inside. The Arlington office is not a pediatric office...more like a geriatric office. The clientele was an average of 80 years old. Needless to say, we got a lot of funny looks, especially since our 4 month old had his big blue glasses on. The best part was when one of the doctors saw us and all of the receptionists started whispering - they didn't realize why we were there and thought we were in the wrong place since neither of the pediatric doctors were technically in the office that day. LOL. I love when you can hear people stressing over you!
The doctor came in with one of the residents, so she was using all this medical jargon. She told him how Jack's eyes are much bigger than typical infants his age and asked him how big they were supposed to be. I knew the answer, and he got it wrong! Does that show you how much time I've spent with the pediatric opthamologist over the past 5 weeks?
Anyways, it was indeed just a bruise and it will probably last a couple of weeks. Nothing to worry about and Jack continues to heal! We start with both contact lenses on Wednesday - getting those in should be a blast!
Well, the next morning, it had moved. It looked like it was headed towards his cornea so we gave her a call. It was her surgery day, so luckily she picked up. She told us we had to be there by 9:00am (it was 8 and Jack and I were still lying in bed!) We all got dressed and jumped in the car. Unfortunately, the hospital where she was is on the other side of town, and of course there was an accident on the main highway we needed to take in order to get there.
We pulled up at 8:59, David pulled up and I grabbed Jack out of his carseat and ran inside. The Arlington office is not a pediatric office...more like a geriatric office. The clientele was an average of 80 years old. Needless to say, we got a lot of funny looks, especially since our 4 month old had his big blue glasses on. The best part was when one of the doctors saw us and all of the receptionists started whispering - they didn't realize why we were there and thought we were in the wrong place since neither of the pediatric doctors were technically in the office that day. LOL. I love when you can hear people stressing over you!
The doctor came in with one of the residents, so she was using all this medical jargon. She told him how Jack's eyes are much bigger than typical infants his age and asked him how big they were supposed to be. I knew the answer, and he got it wrong! Does that show you how much time I've spent with the pediatric opthamologist over the past 5 weeks?
Anyways, it was indeed just a bruise and it will probably last a couple of weeks. Nothing to worry about and Jack continues to heal! We start with both contact lenses on Wednesday - getting those in should be a blast!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Glasses
I am pleased to update that Jack is healing like a superstar from his second surgery. The doctor thinks this one is healing even faster than the first one. He's also learned a lot more, like how to avoid eyedrops and squiggle away from the doctor.
I wrote in an earlier post that we were none too excited about Jack having to wear glasses. We still have the option to choose glasses or contacts, but he has to wear the glasses for now until the right eye is completely healed. I was fully prepared for the stares and questions - if I saw a 3 month old wearing glasses, I would probably take a second glance as well. I'll be honest - he looks adorable. If he were some random kid on the street, I would think he looked pretty cute with the glasses. What we are struggling with is that he doesn't look like Jack. Because the prescription is so strong, they make his eyes look extremely large. They are also a royal pain in the butt. Baby noses were not designed to hold glasses up. Every time he moves his head, they get knocked around, and he's discovered they make a great teether.
Needless to say, we're going with contacts as soon as possible. I think it will be better. I feel so bad taking the glasses off even to clean them, because I know I've just taken his vision away.
We have gone out a couple of times with the glasses. We do get a few stares. I got lots of questions from parents at the opthamologist, but I didn't mind that because their kids all have glasses too. Mostly, people are curious what would cause a 3 month old to need glasses. I hear a lot of little kids saying, "Mommy, that baby has glasses."
What I was not prepared for is probably the most hurtful - people actually think I have these glasses on Jack because I think they look cute. They truly believe that I am accessorizing my child. We got Jack's ChildFind ID done a couple of weeks ago, and on his form I indicated that he needed glasses or contacts at all times. The police officers doing it actually chuckled and whispered to each other because they figured I meant I was the one that needed glasses or contacts, and they didn't even include it on his ID.
The hard part is over. Surgeries are done and we can go back to living our new version of "normal" lives. I'll say it again - this kid is 13 pounds of pure hero! Here are a couple of pictures of him with the new glasses...
I wrote in an earlier post that we were none too excited about Jack having to wear glasses. We still have the option to choose glasses or contacts, but he has to wear the glasses for now until the right eye is completely healed. I was fully prepared for the stares and questions - if I saw a 3 month old wearing glasses, I would probably take a second glance as well. I'll be honest - he looks adorable. If he were some random kid on the street, I would think he looked pretty cute with the glasses. What we are struggling with is that he doesn't look like Jack. Because the prescription is so strong, they make his eyes look extremely large. They are also a royal pain in the butt. Baby noses were not designed to hold glasses up. Every time he moves his head, they get knocked around, and he's discovered they make a great teether.
Needless to say, we're going with contacts as soon as possible. I think it will be better. I feel so bad taking the glasses off even to clean them, because I know I've just taken his vision away.
We have gone out a couple of times with the glasses. We do get a few stares. I got lots of questions from parents at the opthamologist, but I didn't mind that because their kids all have glasses too. Mostly, people are curious what would cause a 3 month old to need glasses. I hear a lot of little kids saying, "Mommy, that baby has glasses."
What I was not prepared for is probably the most hurtful - people actually think I have these glasses on Jack because I think they look cute. They truly believe that I am accessorizing my child. We got Jack's ChildFind ID done a couple of weeks ago, and on his form I indicated that he needed glasses or contacts at all times. The police officers doing it actually chuckled and whispered to each other because they figured I meant I was the one that needed glasses or contacts, and they didn't even include it on his ID.
The hard part is over. Surgeries are done and we can go back to living our new version of "normal" lives. I'll say it again - this kid is 13 pounds of pure hero! Here are a couple of pictures of him with the new glasses...
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Wait, weren't we just here!?
I write this during the first shift of night duty. Jack has become even more tactile since the last surgery, so now he can not only get the patch off, he’s learned to do it quietly. Therefore, David and I have to take shifts overnight to be sure the patch stays on. The good news is that this time around, he’ll get it off for good tomorrow and we can use the glasses as a barrier. Astonishingly enough, we were able to get him to sleep at a reasonable bedtime. We’ll see how this goes…
This kid is 13 pounds of pure hero. The surgery was later this time (9am) so we were worried about him wanting to eat, but we were able to sneak him here still asleep and in his jammies again. He barely made a fuss during the whole pre-op stuff. David and I were much better prepared this time. We were blessed to have the same pre-op nurse and anesthesiologist. Last time, the surgery took about an hour, so today when an hour had passed and no one came out, we started to panic. We went back into his pre-op room to wait and still heard nothing. After what I think was the longest 15 minutes of my life, the doctor came out and said everything went fine. After the second longest 15 minutes of my life, they finally brought us back to recovery, where my little guy was not happy. I fed him right away and he went back to sleep until we got to the peds ward.
Although we are bored out of our minds being stuck here, Jack did have trouble getting rid of some of the anesthesia gases this time and was wheezy for awhile, so we were glad to be around nurses and doctors who could assure us he was fine. After a few bouts of fussiness and crying, he got rid of it all and is doing just fine. I cannot say enough good things about the staff here. My only complaint is that they have Facebook blocked on their server!
David, Jack and I cannot begin to thank our family, friends, friends of family and friends of friends for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers over the past couple of weeks. There is a young couple in the room next to us who are here because their newborn has jaundice, and David and I had to laugh when we thought about the time when jaundice was our biggest worry (you know, a whole 15 weeks ago.) We are a strong little family!
We will continue to update the blog with information about Jack’s progress. He will wear his glasses for this week and then we will decide if we are brave enough to try the contacts. He’ll have to wear one or the other until he is about 5 years old, when we’ll be asking for your prayers again as we head back here for two more surgeries to put in the permanent lens – then he will be done with glasses and contacts!
Jack will be the 80 year old man driving all of his friends to the hospital to have their cataracts removed. We hope he gets the last laugh.
Jack will be the 80 year old man driving all of his friends to the hospital to have their cataracts removed. We hope he gets the last laugh.
"It could be worse."
Ahhh, we've heard this a lot.
Trust us, we know it could be much worse. We learned that after spending the day at Children's Hospital. You don't go to Children's Hospital to get a flu shot. You go there because you are seeking top notch medical care for your child. We saw what "much worse" looks like, and I will keep those children and their families in my prayers for life.
However, we are not quite ready to see the glass as "could be much worse" full yet. We're still looking at it as "could be much better" full. But, boy, have we come a long way in 3 1/2 weeks. We've gone through every emotion, from devastation to excitement at the thought of the surgery, simply because we knew what a difference it would make for Jack. I aim this post more at people who have gone through something similar, and I leave you with a prayer our priest shared with us last week, because I think that David and I will be living by this prayer for a long time to come:
Trust us, we know it could be much worse. We learned that after spending the day at Children's Hospital. You don't go to Children's Hospital to get a flu shot. You go there because you are seeking top notch medical care for your child. We saw what "much worse" looks like, and I will keep those children and their families in my prayers for life.
However, we are not quite ready to see the glass as "could be much worse" full yet. We're still looking at it as "could be much better" full. But, boy, have we come a long way in 3 1/2 weeks. We've gone through every emotion, from devastation to excitement at the thought of the surgery, simply because we knew what a difference it would make for Jack. I aim this post more at people who have gone through something similar, and I leave you with a prayer our priest shared with us last week, because I think that David and I will be living by this prayer for a long time to come:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Monday, October 4, 2010
What is a cataract?
WOW! The blog has had a great response. Thank you everyone! Whether you're reading it for information or you're just curious or you're relating, I hope it's meaningful.
As I talk to more and more people, I realize that I have not really explained the technical aspect of what is going on. I thought I should address that here. A cataract is a cloud that forms on the lens of your eye. They are very typical in older people, and everyone will develop them at some time in their lives (if we live that long!) In the typical surgery for adults, the lens is removed and a permanent replacement is implanted. The surgery is very routine - they don't even knock you out! - and you leave the hospital with much better vision. It is possible to have cataracts and not even know. They can be very tiny or in a part of your eye where the vision is not impaired.
The surgery in infants is a little bit different because their vision is still developing. They do not want to implant the permanent lens yet because there is a strong chance it would need to be changed in the next few years. Therefore, Jack's lens has been removed and the contact lenses and/or glasses serve as his vision until he is older. When he's around 4 or 5 years old (or old enough to sit still so his eyes can be measured), he will have to undergo two more surgeries to get the permanent lenses put in. After the permanent lenses are in, his vision should be corrected for good.
Considering I do not wear glasses or contacts and was rather grossed out by eyes about 3 and a half weeks ago, I feel like I've learned more about eyes and vision than I ever cared to!
As I talk to more and more people, I realize that I have not really explained the technical aspect of what is going on. I thought I should address that here. A cataract is a cloud that forms on the lens of your eye. They are very typical in older people, and everyone will develop them at some time in their lives (if we live that long!) In the typical surgery for adults, the lens is removed and a permanent replacement is implanted. The surgery is very routine - they don't even knock you out! - and you leave the hospital with much better vision. It is possible to have cataracts and not even know. They can be very tiny or in a part of your eye where the vision is not impaired.
The surgery in infants is a little bit different because their vision is still developing. They do not want to implant the permanent lens yet because there is a strong chance it would need to be changed in the next few years. Therefore, Jack's lens has been removed and the contact lenses and/or glasses serve as his vision until he is older. When he's around 4 or 5 years old (or old enough to sit still so his eyes can be measured), he will have to undergo two more surgeries to get the permanent lenses put in. After the permanent lenses are in, his vision should be corrected for good.
Considering I do not wear glasses or contacts and was rather grossed out by eyes about 3 and a half weeks ago, I feel like I've learned more about eyes and vision than I ever cared to!
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