Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ophthalmology update

Alayna had her 8 week follow up with the ophthalmologist this week.  Unfortunately, the patching (read hold her down and super glue a patch on to keep it on) isn't helping much.  Her left eye is still tending to drift inward most of the time.

Therefore, we are opting for eye muscle surgery on June 21st.   At this point the doctor is planning on doing both her eyes (they work together like windshield wipers) however, she isn't ruling out just working on the left one.  It is a half day outpatient surgery in which the whites of her eyes will be very red for a few days to weeks afterwards but, not much pain, at least that is what I am praying for.

For now we keep patching each day for 5 hours, or as long as humanly possible to keep it on her. (You can tell I LOVE patching right?)

The doctor was pretty sure that she wouldn't need her glasses after we get her eye muscles in line and her brain to recognize that left eye.

I am just kicking myself for not switching ophthalmologists sooner.  I think Alayna should have been patched when she was very little and this would have taken care of this issue and she might not have needed the surgery.

As the girls get older I am becoming a better advocate for them and instead of trusting a professional just because they are a professional I am trusting my mommy instincts more to know what is best for them and to ask more questions.  I urge all parents to do the same.

2 comments:

Becca said...

Oh, goodness, you can't blame yourself for not getting another doctor!! When it comes to things that we're wholly unfamiliar with, like eye issues, we *do* trust the medical professionals who specialize in those fields. We can't know that there are other, better options - hindsight is 20-20, right? I've seen a few children who've had that surgery, and the recovery is quick and painless, I believe, and the results are fantastic. :-)

Elisabeth said...

I'm so sorry Alayna has to go through this. That's no fun! Praying it makes a big difference for her!