Eye Exams...

This week the kids had their ophthalmology appointments. T Rex went in for a follow-up. Due to his amblyopia and strabismus, he sees the pediatric ophthalmologist every 3-5 months. They keep very close watch on him. Bebe Sister is at risk for the same disorder due to the nature of genetics so she needed to have an initial screening between 18 and 24 months. She just turned 21 months so the timing was perfect. We decided it would be best to deal with two grumpy kids at one appointment than separately.


Actually we were preparing for the worst since T Rex was the same age during his first ophthalmology appointment and it was disastrous. We were all in tears after it was done. I would have been mortified if we would have had to do patching at that point. However, now we are doing patching with him for 1-2 hours per day. This has been part of the routine for at least a year and with the homemade patch I have for him, he doesn't mind too much. The best news - his vision is now 20/20 in both eyes. His right eye is still dominant but his left (weak) eye is fully functioning and the brain is recognizing it. He still does not have depth perception, but we're getting there. The doctor commended him on his progress and good work - patching is tough. It makes his weak eye work hard, he sometimes complains of headaches, and I know the patch can be uncomfortable as well as a bit embarrassing to wear. However, we are all so proud him and  his progress.


Bebe Sister watched her brother during the exam. Because she has dark eyes and not blue like her brother (another one of those weird gene things - where did his blue eyes come from?), she had to have two separate drops for dilating rather than one type. She barely flinched while the drops were put in. She never complained once except to say she needed to use the restroom. She happily watched her brother during his exam and when it was her turn she jumped up and climbed onto the chair. She was perfect for the doctor - not a peep. Dr. KW was able to get a thorough look inside her eyes. The verdict - she is 100%. No refractory problems, no crossing, nothing. We do need to continue to monitor her with annual exams but at this point, she is good to go. I think she was disappointed to not get glasses like her brother but she did perk up when she was given special sunglasses due to the pupil dilation that would remain for up to 24 hours.

Initially, I think both kids were a little nervous for their exams (see first photo). However, by the end, they were all giggles. 

We celebrated by visiting the fish tank at another medical office in the same building (where T Rex goes for his allergy/asthma appointments) and then lunch with Nana. 

My mom accompanied me to the appointment as T Rex Dad has a deployment at work this week and has been working long hours. I was really expecting the worst for this appointment but was more than pleasantly surprised by the outcome and the ease of the exams. All those prayers we said paid off!

School update: I survived midterms last week and T Rex Dad and the kids survived my high stress. I even managed to turn in a paper during that week, too. This week I saw a patient that looked a lot like Abraham Lincoln - bonus points for the person who can guess what kind of disorder one might have that would make him resemble my favorite President. A homemade treat/craft if you are correct and did not have to look it up.