Evan's Eyes

Evan had his second cataract surgery the very beginning of June (less than a week after the first).  I thought I would be able to handle everything better because I knew what to expect, but the opposite was true.  I was a wreck.  I think because I knew how miserable the surgery, drops and plastic shield (with all it's lovely tape) made Evan, I hated the thought of him having to do it all over again and make the "torture" last even longer.  He didn't bounce out of the anesthesia nearly as well the second time around as he did the first. He was cranky and groggy and downright sad (and so was his mommy!).   I don't have any pictures of him at the hospital (told you I was a wreck, I even forgot the camera), but here's the little guy a couple days later:

Couldn't get any sweeter!



Lot's of eye drops to keep track of!

Next step? Contacts.  2 Tiny contacts +1 Nine month old baby = One Total Nightmare.  When I took Evan to his first contact appointment mid-June I was overwhelmed to say the least. Getting those contacts in and out of his little eyes was so hard.  The nurse at the office had me practice over and over while Evan screamed and screamed.  Evan was crying and I was crying. I wished so much I could just get it right and it could be all over for him. Then came the time when the contacts were in and I knew that Evan was seeing ME for the first time in a very long time.  More tears.  I left that appointment still very overwhelmed, but very, very thankful.  My baby was finally going to be able to see.  

Learning to get used to the contacts has been full of ups an downs.  The first morning that I ever got one into his eye on the first try, I called Bryan at work to tell him how excited I was!! The next time I put them in (or especially if I was taking them out) it could take me 20 minutes or more.  Right now (end of July) I feel like we're finally in an okay place.  Evan still fights it almost just as hard, but I'm more comfortable with handling the contacts and that seems to make a huge difference. 

Here's one more tidbit of information for you.  Take one of these:

Have it pop out somewhere unknown on something like this:

Can you find it?

And what do you get?  One very stressed out mommy! For a while I thought we were going to average one lost contact a week. Not okay.  At Evan's last appointment a couple of weeks ago they checked the fit of his contacts and slightly altered the one for his right eye (the one we were always loosing).  We haven't lost one since!  Yay!  It is still the right contact that he seems to rub up on top of his eye or down in a corner (makes it hard to get out!), but it is so much better than it was.  Hopefully it will stay like this and we won't be spending as much time on our hands and knees searching (in a state of panic) for what gives our little guy vision.

Surgery? Check.  Contacts?  Check.  Patches? Check.  At Evan's last couple appointments the Dr. noticed that Evan wasn't using his right eye at all.  It had started to turn in pretty bad and needs to be strengthened.  We patch his left eye to force him to use his right eye (so he doesn't loose vision in that eye all together).   The biggest challenge with the patches is finding one that will stick well enough that it stays on (and Evan can't pull it off), but not so well that his poor little skin gets pulled off with it (so sad!).  We're still working on that one.