little four eyes

We live in Wisconsin and for about a week now we have enjoyed (yeah right) bitter cold weather and snow.  This morning we had a freash coat of snow on the ground and the temp is in the mid twenties.   That means it’s warm enough to bundle up and head outside to play.  Let me tell you, glasses and snow do not mix!!! 

The falling snow flakes would land on Teagan’s glasses and melt, messing with her vision and frustrating her.   I found that keeping a hand towel stuffed in my pocket helped for the frequent times she came to me requesting I “clean them, please”.  Then there was the dredded phrase “Oops, I dropped them” followed by my “calmly” asking her not to move while I looked for a glasses shaped dent in the snow.  Thank goodness, we found them.  Then finally there is the fog that covers the lenses after coming inside due to the temp change.   I really have to keep an eye on Teagan then because she has been known to toss them on the floor deciding they are useless anyway.

Oh and while I was searching for the glasses lost in the snow my one year old, Taylor, managed to pull her boots off and was sitting in the snow in her socks (yikes!).  That was it.   Snow time over!!!  Time to watch a movie and for mom to have a cup of coffee!!!!!!  Is it summer yet?

I am long overdue to update everyone on Teagan’s post-op strabismus surgery follow-up.  I am happy to report that Teagan is out of her bi-focals!  The glasses are still needed but we know nothing would change there.  Her crossing is now very minor and within normal range.  We will need to keep following up on it and look for any signs that the crossing is getting worse again, or over correcting.  We are not out of the woods with the possibility for another surgery but so far it looks good!  Phew!!

The other update to give is that Teagan is also out of the cast she had from her tibia fracture.  She is a little unsure of her leg right now, it must feel weak, but she is doing great… and smelling better since being able to take a proper bath!

We have been anxiously awaiting Teagan’s follow up to her Strabismus surgery and it is finally just around the corner!  This Tuesday!!  We were hoping that visit would go exceptionally well and we could take a break from the doctors & hospitals for awhile.  That’s not the real world of parenting though, is it?

Just to keep us on our toes, Teagan jumped from the monkey bars on Wednesday afternoon and fractured her tibia in her left leg.  After a couple hours at our Children’s E.R. she is now in a soft cast (in case of swelling) and Monday morning she will get a hard cast that will stay on from 4 to 6 weeks.

Fortunately, we live within miles of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, a wonderful facility.  All of our doctors are in one place, which is great (though sometimes it starts to feel like we live there!).  We now have a Pediatric Ophthalmologist, a Pediatric ENT specialist, and Monday we will meet the Pediatric Orthopedic Specialist. I’ll let you know what we hear from our P.O. on Tuesday.  I think the news will be good.  She seems to have far less crossing with her glasses on and off.  I’m hoping she will get a new perscription, because either way she is in need of knew lenses.  She’s scratched hers up pretty good in the 9 months she’s had this pair.  I just really hope we do not need to do more patching at this point.  I think the cast on her leg will be about all I can take for awhile!!  More to come after Tuesday!

I just read the wonderful story Danielle wrote in comments and it reminded me of a similar experience we had at the hospital for Teagans eye surgery.

As I’ve said, Teagan had eye surgery a week & a half ago. As I walked away from my daughter to go to the waiting room (one of the hardest moments of my life so far) I was crying and nervous; basically a big mess. No surprise there, which one of us wouldn’t be!! When we sat down I noticed a couple casually drinking coffee, joking around, and checking their email on their matching Mac’s. I’d had noticed them earlier, they had a boy about 12-14 years old. The first thought that went through my head was “how can these parents be so calm and casual while their son is in surgery? “What jerks!” Then it struck me!!!What has this family been through that has made a couple hour outpatient procedure such a non event? Painful treatments? Long hospital stays? Risky procedures? How lucky am I that a routine day surgery is such a traumatic experience!

In the end, it doesn’t make the experience my family has had to go through any easier. If I had to do it over again I will still be just as emotional when we found out Teagan needed glasses, patching or surgery. Still, it is a nice reminder that I am very lucky. My child is healthy, smart, and active. While these eye care issues have been frustrating and disappointing at times, at least they are not tragic. I guess today I’m grateful for glasses.

Teagan - 2 1/2.

As I try to figure out how to start this I’m feeling a little like the new kids trying to join a lunch table.  Will I be interesting?  Can I be funny?  Will anyone want to talk to me?  I’m new to this blogging thing, but found it very helpful when I was preparing myself for my 2 1/2 year old’s Strabismus surgery last Friday.  It got me thinking, maybe I have some knowledge to share or at least another place to vent!

We found out that my daughter Teagan needed glasses when she was 18 months old.  I remember crying as we left the PO’s office thinking how am I going to keep these on her?  What will people think or say? and THIS IS NOT FAIR, SHE’S JUST A BABY!!  We got through it though and I actually love her glasses now.  They are so cute and so much a part of who she is.  Glasses are not the only thing we have had to deal with though.  In the last year we have done patching, bi-focals, eye drops, more patching and finally surgery.  We have no idea where the end of the road might be (I hope it does not include more patching) but we know we can handle it.

I think it will help to have another place to turn to, where people know exactally what we are going through.  I look forward to sharing our adventures and reading about everyone elses.

Thanks!  TeagansMom