SNOW!! For the love of all that's holy can't summer just come already yet grrr
Okay now for the updates. The Kiddo is doing amazing. I know kids adapt, but he's adjusted so quickly to having to wear an eye patch. Yesterday I went to put it on his face and he quetly asked me not too. He asked if I would please put it on his left eye instead of his right. It made me so sad, but I explained that it had to go on his right eye in order to make his left eye stronger. He grumbled but let me put it on him. This morning we put patches on both his Little Einstein boys so they could be like him. He didn't even try to talk me out of it, he just closed his eyes and said "go ahead". We really haven't had any fits or any attempts at removal since the first day we used it.
Lady D mentioned that I should try to explain what I've learned about why we are putting on the patch (from my dad, and my research) a little more here as an update. I think she might be right so here goes...My dad explained that the Kiddo's brain has probably not been "listening" to his left eye. Since his right eye is so much stronger the brain has been using that as it's primary source of information and slowly ignoring the left eye more and more. The patch forces the Kiddos brain to start listening to the Left. Sure the images it gets from the left are minimal at best but as long as the brain is trying to listen to it the vision in that eye will improve. The optic nerve itself will not grow any larger so THAT part of his condition wont change. However as long as we make sure the brain is using the eye then the other parts of his eye are going to continue to develop until he's nine (just like his other eye will)... It will take awhile for his brain to stop trying to use the right eye and start using the left (which is why we have to do a full four weeks with the patch before we can check to see if there's an vision improvement).
I added a link to my side bar for a really good Optic Nerve Hypoplasia site. It's a membership site for families of kids with ONH. Yes to get all the features I'd have to pay money (which I don't have right now) BUT there's plenty you can read there without paying the membership fee. The link should take you strait to the ONH general information page. On the right side bar are several links that talk about growth hormones, how they test to see if they are needed, how they are administered, for how long you have to give them, and what possible side effect there may be (which is good reading since we may end up looking into, though I really hope the kid is just a late grower).
Anyway the Kiddo seems to be adjusting. He still walks around and plays as though he can't see anything at all. Every day I challenge him a little bit more... making him try to play by himself for longer periods of time. I ask him to give me high fives or make him reach out and take whichever toy he's asking for. After hearing what my dad said I feel far more comfortable (and less cranky) about patching the Kiddo, and really have only one big concer... When we take the patch off at night (30-60 minutes before he goes to bed) his left eye wanders to an extream I haven't really ever seen it go too. I'm assuming this is due to it being very tired. In the morning (prior to patching him) it is back to a minimal drift but I find myself worried about the pre-bed time drifting... I suppose if it continues to worry me I'll just call the eye doc to see if it's normal.
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