Helen's Strabismus Update- A Light At The End

Let me start off with we had Helen's 3 month eye Doctor  check up on Tuesday afternoon. That is what we call him in simple terms so she understands what it is and where we are going. In proper terms it is called a pediatric ophthalmologist. Every three months Helen has an eye check up for her stabismus in her right eye. Strabismus is when her right eye crosses inward. I could go into more details but I won't today.

Since we have found out Helen has strabismus in her right eye when she was a baby, we started this long journey ahead of us. A road full of unknowns. Many nights and days full of prayers and constant battles. Many questions from myself as a Mother, " why us and why our daughter Helen?" Thought really why does any child have to go through this or anything that is much worse. I sat in many eye appointments with our daughter Helen getting the same progress or falling two steps back and walking out feeling defeated. A year and a half ago she had the surgery to correct the alignment in both her eyes. The surgery was positive and the outcome was good but we were not completely out of the woods just yet. We still had to do the every 3 month check ups, eye patching and Helen still had to wear her eye glasses daily. If we did not do all of those her right eye would still want to cross back in.

After a year and a half of appointments with our second family. They truly became our second family in the office which made the journey a lot easier. This last check up was much different than all the ones in the past.

The appointment started out by updating her photo from her baby photo. That hit me. I realized we have been on this road for some time.

Once we were started with the appointment I couldn't tell if it was going good or just okay. I could tell Helen was able to name off the objects that were small this time around. Bonus right?! But I tried not to get my hoped up too much when her eye Dr. gets out all his tools and lighting. And even more odd lighting instruments that he places on his head. But our little Helen does a-mazing in her appointments. She sits in the chair all on her own now without my help.  

At the end of the eye appointment is when the "chat" happens and I take all the notes on paper and in my head that I can. Lets be honest sometimes there is so much to take in and some big medical words! And family members like to know whats going on and sometimes by the time I walk out I only can relay in lame terms. (So if it doesn't always make complete sense on here that is why. I am trying to get it written down from my brain to here. Ha!) 

I could tell her eye Dr. had some excitement in his voice. He continues to tell me Helen no longer needs to patch her left eye. Really?! No more expensive bribery Starbucks trips popped in my head. He continues to explain to me that her right eye is getting stronger and right now there is no sign at all of it crossing inward. We ordered her new lenses for her glasses because her eye sight has grown a little bit stronger and hopefully soon they will both be mostly equal. He mentioned number about getting close to 20/20 and threw some other numbers out there. Then I hear the words....I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Helen's eye Dr. further explains the odds after surgery about the 2 year mark, 5 year mark and 10 mark. This January Helen will hit the two year mark. That is a big mile stone for us to hit and for things to finally start looking up and to become positive I think we call for a celebration at that two year surgery mile stone! Oh and he said see you in another 4 months..instead of 3 months!

After walking out of that eye check up with Helen I felt so many emotions as a Mother. This road we have been traveling has been a bumping road. I have cried, worried and prayed beyond. Not to mention the many sleepless nights. And here I was crying the day after it settled in that things are finally starting looking up and God is finally answering our prayers. Our road is not quit over yet and these are tears of happiness that we for once finally heard positive news. Because hard work and touch decisions pay off.

I can't tell our little Helen how proud of her I am for being so strong!