Don’t Look Down

My daughter has done a more than commendable job in not looking down since December 19th.   At that point a heavy substance was added into the back of her eye which would, in hope, massage the retina down and help it reattach.   As she lay back, the fluid would roll back onto the retinal folds and help them lie flat.    The only trick was keeping the substance in the posterior portion of her eye.

I think I must have said, “don’t look down” or “look up” or “you have to lie on your back” or other related comments a hundred times since December 19th.   My has almost always been understanding and has compiled every time, even if she didn’t want to.

For the first two-and-a-half months we were a little over-worried about it.   We learned later that there was a low chance of migration as there was only a small hole in the top back of her lens capsule.   The doctor said good work on the laying flat and positional restraint my daughter had shown.   He then opened up the majority of the back of her lens capsule and added a new, large hole in the front half of the capsule.   Now, there was a full path the heavy substance could migrate from the back to the front—and we really don’t wan that.

But there was some tempering comments from her surgeon, firstly about some perimeter cellular growth around the lens capsule of lens cells that is complicated and I don’t fully understand but it boils down to a ridge that helps as a barrier.    The second thing he said was the heavy fluid moves slowly, so it’s not going to rush around immediately.   Also, he said the amount was very small and there weren’t problems short-term if it did migrate out.  

So more time with positional restrictions.   More things my daughter has to do and not do that other children don’t have to do.    I had told her Dr. Trese was probably going to take the heavy substance out of her eye (he had said as much) and then she could do as many flips and headstands as she wanted.    It turned out he didn’t.

One of the saddest points recently with my daughter’s eyes was on the ride home from her surgery, she is sick from some virus that incidentally hit at the same time, vomiting in the car.   We hadn’t told her yet he didn’t remove the PFO and that it would be at least two more months until he did.    She quietly asked at one point, “mom, can I look down now?”   I tried not to cry as I told her not yet.   She took it very well.

Tonight, weeks later, we’re walking in Florida in the evening weather.   My daughter’s holding two of our hands and is jumping up between the two adults doing that walk/gliding thing children love to do.   My niece asked if she wanted to flip over (something she can easily do) and I was touched to hear my daughter say she couldn’t because of her eye surgery.    I swooped in and told her if she flipped fast, it would be okay and did she want to try?   She said she did and we had fun doing flips for the remainder of the walk.

The Big Boy Update:   My son was wanting some candy or other high-value food this morning.   When asked if he wanted to finish his muffin he replied, “no, I don’t prefer it.”    How polite.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Just before bed my husband and I were talking.   My daughter came in and asked if she could have her iPad, to which we said yes.   She then told us, “I’m going to play on my iPad in my bed…so I don’t interrupt you…since you’re talking.”

Fitness Update:   I walked five miles today, four in flip flops, around the neighborhood here at my in-law’s house.   The calories I burned in no way were enough to offset the amount of chocolate, food and dessert I ate for Easter Sunday however.