The Best

It's actually happened! I've been emailing with the best Pediatric Cataract Specialist in the country. He's a doctor in Philadelphia. He recommended that we see a doctor at Emory, one that Eric already got us an appointment with. So, Tuesday we see that doctor. If we are unhappy with the appointment, the doctor in Philly said that he will see Parker. I think we're on the right track now. Thanks to everyone who helped and prayed!

Now for some recent pics...

Parker made his first gingerbread house with Nana. We finished it last night.

Abigail now has pigtails!

Fighter

I keep playing that Christina Aguilera song, "Fighter," in the back of my mind. I'm fighting for my son. I refuse to be a passive mom who just sits back and watches her son go through craziness with his eyes. My house is a mess, I haven't cooked in days, and the TV has been playing children's shows nonstop. Why? Because I am on a quest to get the absolute BEST doctor for my child. I've called foundations, doctors, friends, friends of friends, uncles of friends, surgeons, the list goes on and on. I'm following every lead. I have no idea where my journey will take us.

Yesterday was a hard day. My friend, Vicki, got to hear me in the heat of the frustration. Today has been better. I feel like I have some roads to go down. All this to say... moms out there, be proactive and be aggressive for your kids. A friend of mine reminded me last night that wisdom and discernment comes from God. I really believe that as moms we are called to use what God has given us and to fight for our families. I'll let you know where we end up.

The Scoop

So, here's the scoop on little P. On Thursday, January 8, he will go under general anesthesia so that the doctor can get a better look at the cataracts. If the cataracts are bad enough the doctor will go ahead and preform the surgery on one eye at that time. After removing the cataract the doctor will put an implant in P's eyes. We will go back a week later for him to do the surgery on the other eye.

What we know: P has cataracts in both eyes that are directly in his line of vision. The only way to get cataracts to go away is to remove them. Removing cataracts is a fairly simple procedure in adults, but is much more complex in a child. (If you're curious, give me a call. It's too difficult for me to explain in writing.) The doctor needs to look closer at the cataracts to see if they are bad enough to undergo the surgery, or if they are mild enough to be left alone for awhile. If we don't get the surgery now, the cataracts will get worse, and will eventually need to be taken out anyways. As with any surgery, there are risks involved.

I'm sure any parent can understand that it's hard to choose a surgery that could cause your child to go blind, etc. But, at the same time, P is slowly losing his vision in both eyes from the cataracts. Our choice seems to be more a choice of timing. Eric and I are both in "information overload" right now. And, at the same time, we're trying to gather as much info as possible before the surgery decision on January 8.

Please pray that we can make a wise and informed choice about the surgery and the doctors involved. Pray also that P's vision will not get worse before January 8. (We've seen a decrease in his vision just in the last week.)

Parker P

For some reason we've always called Parker, "Parker P." I was looking through old pictures of him last night, and came across his 7 month picture. It stuck out to me because Abigail is 7 months old.

We found out today that Parker does have cataracts in both eyes. It looks like surgery is eventually going to happen if not soon. It's too much information, and too new of information for me to write about right now.

For now, enjoy the 7 month picture. :)

Bowling

We went bowling with my parents and the kids. It was really fun, but very tiring at the same time. It literally took all 4 adults to keep the situation under somewhat control. Parker loved it.

Couldn't resist adding this one. Hey, grandpa!

Lately

These are some old pictures. But, I had to show them. We went to a farm to run in the corn maze, etc. Parker cried and cried that he wanted to be a cowboy. So, here's my little cowboy.




We also got to ride on a tractor and pet the camels. Yes, camels.


Halloween. We had an angel and a pirate. Parker was confused. He kept running up to doors saying, "Chucky Cheese!" After correcting him (several times) it became, "Trick or trees!" Needless to say, he had a blast.

The Glasses

The glasses arrived yesterday just before lunchtime. As we were walking out of the doctor's office, Parker wearing his new glasses, he kept watch his feet as he walked. He stopped several times to look around at the building, the floor, people, etc. He kept saying, "Mommy, where are we? Mommy, what's dat?" Tonight we looked at the stars for the first time. He counted 3 of them, which was pretty close to accurate.

I definitely think I'm having a harder time with this than he is. I had a "moment" this morning simply because I don't like seeing him have to wear glasses, and because I miss seeing his big brown eyes. But, he seems fine. He asks to take them off sometimes. I can usually distract him, or the Halloween candy comes in handy for bribes.

Anyways, here are some pictures of his first 2 days with glasses, and, of course, an extra shot of Abigail thrown in there too. Thank you all for your sweet messages.