A patch AND glasses

Over the last couple weeks we've noticed Fin's right eye has been turning inward.  It's not all the time, but recently it's been happening more and more often.  At first I was hesitant to put yet another dr visit on the calendar (I know, a bit selfish of me), but I also knew from experience it might take a while to get an appointment.

We have a family friend who's a retired ophthalmologist and he recommended Dr. G.  We took Fin to see her this past Tuesday.  We actually got in quicker than I expected because of a cancellation.  They started by dilating her eyes, an experience I thought would send her into full meltdown mode, but she actually did pretty good.  As long as you don't count the claw marks she left in dh's forearm.  Once her eyes were full dilated (about an hour later), they had her look through several lenses that had different thicknesses of glass.  They observed her while she played with toys and looked at sheets from a coloring book.  They also watched what happened when they flashed lights on and off, and at different angles.

The diagnosis: she has a condition called Strabismus.  Estropia Strabismus, to be exact.  The "estropia" part refers to the eye that turns inward (versus out, up, or down).

In layman's terms, strabismus is a deviation of the eyes (also known as ocular misalignment).  With normal vision both eyes aim at the same spot.  The brain then receives a picture from each eye and combines them to form a single image.  With Strabismus each eye still sends a picture to the brain, but one is clear and one is blurry.  In adults this can lead to double vision because the brain has already learned to receive pictures from both eyes.  In children the brain generally ignores the blurry picture.  Over time the muscles in the eye that is being ignored start to weaken and this can lead to reduced vision (or Amblyopia). 

The good news: we caught it early and it's correctable.

For two hours every day we put a patch on Fin's "good" eye, which forces the muscles in her "bad" eye to start working again.  We'll do this for three months and then have her eyes checked again.

We've done the patching for three days now.  The first day she wanted to be held the whole time and cried on and off (mostly on) for two hours straight.  The second day she wanted to be held at first, but then got down and played for a while.  The third day (yesterday), she played, walked around, and ate snacks almost the whole time.  Way to go, Fin!

I wish I could say everything else with Fin's eyes checked out great.  But unfortunately, there's more.

She's also extremely farsighted.  She can see distant objects clearly, but closer objects are blurry.  Aside from the turned eye, she didn't have any other symptoms of not being able to see things close to her.  Dr.G reassured us this isn't uncommon, that she was working much harder than normal to be able to see as well as she was.

The solution: glasses.

My immediate reaction went something like .... 

She has to wear WHAT?

A patch?

AND glasses?

Do they know she's only 14 months old?

How in the world are we supposed to get her to wear them?

No, seriously, do they know she's only 14 months old?

I've been told by several people once she realizes how much better she can see with glasses, she'll actually want to wear them.  Not to be pessimistic, but I'll believe it when I see it.  (Pun added for dramatic effect!)

If there's one thing you've probably figured out about me, I do my research.  And lots of it.  I like to be informed, don't like to be caught off guard, and I want to know the best and worst case scenarios.  I have a purple book I take with me to every appointment and it has all my notes and questions.

But this time was different.  For starters, I didn't even go to the appointment (dh and Oma took her).  I stayed home so I could give Bub his bottle at 10:30.  And to be completely honest, I have no idea what I would have asked even if I had.  I didn't have anything in my book for something like this.

I'm sure I would have been able to compose myself enough to ask a few questions.  Although hopefully without the tears that immediately began to fall as soon as I got off the phone with dh. 

Without sounding like a complete ninny, I'm a bit overwhelmed by everything that's happened over the past couple months.  Bub on a feeding tube and now Fin's eyes.  I needed that moment to feel sorry for myself, to get it out of my system.  So that as soon as Fin got home, she'd know that I wasn't afraid, so she didn't have to be either.

If both my kids can rise above, so can I.

Day 1 of the patch .... 

Thanks Mom for matching it to my outfit, but do I really have to?

Day 2 of the patch .... 

At least I'm getting M&M's for this.

Day 3 of the patch ....

Ok, I guess this isn't so bad.  But if I want to be held, all I have to do is whine a little and up I go.  They think they have me figured out, but really I have them completely fooled!

Print this post