simply FOuR us: Cleveland Clinic Eye Surgery

Another God Kind of Day!

Two years ago Big Sis had trauma to the eye when a wire went into it. We have seen God's amazing grace and his hand of mercy all over this situation. You can read the summary by clicking HERE.

There have been so many that have prayed, encouraged and loved her over the past two years. As a parent there is not much better than seeing your child loved on by others!

2 Weeks Ago

Everything looked great as of a few months ago. I took her in for a routine checkup 2 weeks ago and had all 4 kids with me! Daddy was working and I thought this would be a quick in and out appointment. Here is a glimpse into that appointment!

We had a bag of goodies to keep us busy!

The bendy wax straws are always a favorite for our doctors office busy bag!

Middle Sis sat on the special chair to keep Big Sis company!

I sat and watched as my baby was asked to ready the vision test screen labeled 25. She couldn't do it. Then 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70 and then 90. She was able to read 2 letters on the 90 screen but she worked really hard to be able to do so and then it seemed like she was guessing. The doctor prescribed her new glasses and said she needed to patch her good eye and read 2 hours a night. Pretty easy. We can do that. We got home and she put her patch on. She couldn't read, not even if the page was up to her face. We kept trying day after day. She kept pressing on even though she couldn't see. When the patch went on she said it looked like it was night time and she couldn't see anything. I had her try to read a math problem to me and she got the numbers wrong. She ran into large objects. How can we do this. We can't let her straight A's go to F's because she has to be patched but if patching is the answer than do we just watch her grades plummet? I was frustrated, she was frustrated. Yet, she was amazing. She tried so hard. I would see her silent tears and and find her laying on her bed crying because she couldn't do it. I heard that she was sad at school although she would tell her friends everything was fine.

I called Cleveland Clinic a few days later and we were encouraged to keep trying. I went in search of large print books just to get started, although she needed to work to the small print chapter books that she usually reads. Friends brought large print books and encouragement. This still wasn't working. She just couldn't see with the patch on. She was tired and squinting all of the time because her brain was working so hard to see. I called Cleveland Clinic back and said that I need to know what to do. I explained everything above and they asked if Big Sis could come in Friday for a laser procedure or possibly an in surgery procedure where they go into the eye and vacuum out all of the "fluffiness". I asked if it was possible to move it to the following Tuesday because I need one child to partially recoup from her surgery before the next one goes in! I just remember that God won't give me more than I can handle and his grace is sufficient for me! They said Tuesday would be just fine.

Daddy just started his teaching job and wasn't able to go with us. Grandpa and Grandma surprised us and they came along for the trip. Big Sis was once again smiling through her nervousness. She teared up a few times but no one noticed because Mommy was trying to hold herself together!

Here is Big Sis getting ready for her preliminary check.

She had many eye drops to dilate her eye, numb her eye and a gel to

attach a contact mechanism piece to her eye. She is so brave and strong!

Below is my goofy girl playing around.

Thanks Dr. for giving her something to take her mind off of things!

She read the vision test screens again and it was just as bad as it was a few weeks earlier. After the Dr looked at everything, he wasn't really comfortable with doing the laser procedure. He wanted to have her patch and get stronger glasses for another month and then reevaluate. (Now enters Mommy's tears.) It's a good thing my Dad was sitting next to me or I might have completely fallen apart! Today there was a student doctor in with us. She suggested using a tool that is only used for adult patients. They have not used it on their pediatric patients before. This tool shines red lights into the eye horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Big Sis had to tell them which way the lights were moving and by this they were able to see into the back of her eye. The doctor said that with these results they could tell the eye was fine and she would be a perfect candidate for the laser procedure. They said Mommy could go with her to be a helper! It is a good thing because Mommy needed to go with her! I got to help hold her head so that she wouldn't move during the procedure. She did fabulous and did not move at all!

Here is the machine. Big Sis said that it felt weird and when it was half done she wanted it to be over. Her eyes started to tear up a few times but she held it together! She did fabulous.

24 laser bursts and 4 minutes later and we were headed back to the room to check her vision. She started with the 90 screen and read it correct and fast! Then the 70 screen....here comes Mommy's tears again! Perfect! The Dr. says that he is so happy with the results that he doesn't care if she gets anything else right because he was already so happy with the results. 50, 40, 35, 30, 25....PERFECT! Her vision is back to 20/25! She will have to wear her glasses because her lens transplant doesn't focus close up so she needs her bi-focal lens. We are fine with that because it could be so much worse. She will continue to patch for the next 4 weeks to strengthen the eye but that will be a piece of cake because she can see when she reads! The rest of the evening her eye hurt a little bit and today it is doing great!

Amazing! I cannot believe the results!

20/25 Vision!

They checked her eye pressure 1 more time and it was perfect!

Big Sis was the first patient at the Cleveland Clinic to get to use this Eye Pressure Tool a year ago! They ran it for a trial period and then decided to get it. Before this tool, they used eye drops that burned and numbed the eye and they wheeled in a big machine to check it! Now they only use this hand tool!

So, now what....

Big Sis will patch every evening and return to the Cleveland Clinic in 4 weeks. She will have to stay home from school for a week plus an additional week of no recess or gym. Since the lens in her eye was shot with a laser 24 times it is loose and not in a fixed position. It will be okay in 2 weeks. Her lens can be jarred if she bumps her head or runs around like a normal kid! So we are keeping her down for now so that she won't have to go in for a surgery to fix her lens if it moves.

What a great day!

Below Big Sis and Grandpa are having a bit if fun by the really cool BIG guitar!!