So That's New

THE GOOD NEWS:

About a week or so after our latest trip to Cincinnati, Aida & I made our monthly visit to Vanderbilt.  At our previous visit we’d been told that if all went well in Cincy, Aida would be able quit the last of her serious meds.  Since all was well, I took it upon myself to wean her from the miniscule dose that she had been taking.  I figured it’d be better to be weaned before going to Vanderbilt so if there was any change or cause for concern we’d know.  But there wasn’t cause for concern.  At least not in regard to this medication and her lab work.  In fact, we haven’t even scheduled our next clinic visit.  Since our pediatrician & hematologist communicate (God bless Vanderbilt Health!), we’ll just follow up with our pediatrician at our next visit.

***Applause Break***

The question that remained was whether she would be able to stop taking her blood pressure medicine.  Hypertension was supposed to have been a side effect of this last (significant) drug, but since the dose was so low, I was half expecting the blood pressure to be an independent issue.   It was indeed a bit high that day at clinic, but it wasn’t as high as it had been previously so we held out hope!  We saw our pediatrician a week or so later and had it checked again.  It was still high but better than before.  I was encouraged, but the doctor at Vanderbilt was still concerned.  If it didn’t improve she was going to refer Aida to a nephrologist.  Something to do with her kidneys.  I don’t know.

I told her I’d stop by our pediatrician’s office again the next week to have it checked once more before taking that step.  Lo and behold it was normal.  NORMAL.  Apparently the tee tiny dose had been causing the high blood pressure.  Woohoo!  So now we are left with Pepcid & the weekend anti-biotic which should continue for a couple more months.  In my professional, medical opinion we could probably go ahead and quit the anti-biotic too, but I’ll follow the doctors’ orders. :)

***Applause Break***

THE NEW ADVENTURE:

A few weeks ago we went for our third visit to the opthamologist.  Just before going I’d said I thought Aida’s eyes were looking better…but then I figured I was probably just getting used to it.  Maybe it’s a little of both.  Nevertheless, her right eye (or sometimes left) continues to turn in.  She’s farsighted, as babies generally are, but for whatever reason (perhaps genetic, perhaps a side effect of meds) her eye is turning to compensate.  (It’s called accommodative esotropia.)  Her vision isn’t really all that bad, and if the eye weren’t turning there’d be no real concern at the moment. 

But alas, it turns in.  The first option to correct the problem is glasses.  The doctor said her eyes were straighter when he held lenses in front of them, so we’re very hopeful this will be all she needs.  If the glasses don’t do the trick we will likely move on to patching before ultimately discussing surgery. 

***Boooooooooo Break***

Like I said, I’m hopeful the glasses are all she needs.

***Prayer Break***

With the exception of immediate family, I waited several days to tell people about this new adventure.  I wasn’t ready to talk about it.  It reminded me of when Aida was born.  I didn’t talk to anyone on the phone for weeks.  This was obviously less intense, so it only took few days to process.  :)  Anyway, I wasn’t ready to respond to what I knew I would hear.  “That’s gonna be SO cute!!!”  In fact, I had to apologize to my brother after I responded to him (via text), “…said every parent (person) whose kid doesn’t have to get glasses.”

Cute was not what I was thinking.  I was just trying not to bawl.

I had recently made my own cuteness comment to a parent whose child (about Aida’s age) had gotten glasses several months before, knowing Aida might have to get them as well.  Maybe I was trying to psych myself up.  I’m not sure, but when I talked with them more recently about what kind of glasses he had, I apologized if my comments were insensitive.  The truth is, the tiny little glasses on tiny little people can be cute.  And they’re obviously purposeful.  But it’s not something this parent wanted to be a part of her little girl’s life.  

Anyway, I’m adjusting to the idea, but I’m still not excited about it.  I kept saying how much I just like her face.  Then I wondered if all her pretty headbands covering her still generally bald head would still work with the glasses.  And then there’s the hassle of convincing a 15 month old to wear them.  Super fun, right?  Also, it turns out, they’re bifocals.  Yes, bifocals.  That definitely detracts from the cuteness a litte.  I’m about as happy as I can be with the frames we chose (they’re magenta), and I’m encouraged that the bigger she gets the cuter the frames get.  :)

We actually got the glasses just a few days ago, and they are cute in their own way.  I’m getting used to them quicker than I thought I would.  Mark, on the other hand, liked them to start.  He said he was partial to glasses and wished I’d wear mine.  Ha!  Opposites and all that…

Aida LOVES to be outside.  Mama sure could sure use a covered porch!

I’m still in shock about Aida’s feelings about them.  She pulled at them 2 or 3 times in the doctor’s office then not again until she was tired.  She always pulls her headbands off when she gets sleepy, and so now she pulls off her glasses too.  :)  When she got up the next morning she spotted them on the table and pointed so I could put them on.  I didn’t think they were going to make such a difference since her vision is not that bad.   Apparently they do. 

So far, only one headband doesn’t work with the glasses.  Also, so long as we have these magenta frames there will be no more red shirts.  Burgundy maybe, but not red.  I can live with that.  Good thing.  We have no idea how long she may need to wear them.  Age 8 or so seems to be the ballpark estimate…which is about the age I started wearing glasses.  Everyone in my immediate family has been in contacts or glasses most of their lives, but Mark’s family can see ALL BY THEMSELVES.  Here’s hoping this resolves itself in time, and she got her daddy’s vision genes.

THE PERSPECTIVE:

As much as I have whined about these glasses…and even told my closest friends they couldn’t rave about how cute they are when they first saw them…I am incredibly grateful to be where we are.  Terribly, terribly grateful.  Of course, we’re still not totally out of the woods.  But as I gave the three sentence version of Aida’s situation (I bet you don’t believe I can do that) to a new doctor yesterday I was yet again reminded how far she’s come.  I said just the other day that I have always been so glad God gave Aida to us. 

We are spoiled and continually amazed by the most amazing little girl.  She is incredibly easy (as babies go), and is one of the happiest little people I’ve ever seen.  EVER.  She radiates joy…the contagious kind.  If she can’t make you smile, you may be dead inside.  She has more personality than Mark and me combined.  She grabs our phones and iPods then dances to tell us that she wants to hear music…then claps when the song ends.  (I may have taught her the clapping part.)  She laughs ridiculously easily and loves to laugh so much that she fakes it if there’s nothing to laugh at.   She adores her “dadadadadadadada.”  If she’s not already, she really wants to be your friend.  Rest assured, we’re not counting on any future siblings to be this easy going.  But then maybe God just likes us.  :)