On Wednesday we went in to see Dr. Silverberg, the twins opthamologist. You may remember that he was featured during the Childrens Miracle Network telethon we were in. Our main concern during this visit was Derby’s vision. As always, when it comes to medical issues, he seems to be the one we worry about more. We had our IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) meeting last week to discuss what will happen with therapy once the twins turn 3. Loen will no longer be eligible as she has caught up to most of her peers. But Derby will need help for a while longer. One of the recurring concerns his therapists bring up is his vision. What does he see, what doesn’t he see and how is he processing these images. It is all a guessing game until he can tell us what is going on. Tadd and I were ready with a barrage of questions regarding our little man. What we weren’t ready for was that Derby’s eyes, anatomically speaking are fine, but his sister’s that have gotten progressively worse. She went from minor nearsightedness (common in babies) to a prescription of -7 & -9 in 2009. Anything over -6 is considered severely nearsighted.  On this visit they measured her to be -12 and -14. A huge jump. They tested her a couple of times to be sure. Without her glasses Loen is legally blind, sigh….. She is fine and will have to see the eye doctor every 6 months to be sure her vision is not worsening. We asked if there was a chance she could lose her vision. It is very rare but that would be the outcome if the retina was to detach.

I really shouldn’t get worked up but it is times like this that make we wonder what could we have done to prevent all this. If we would have hired movers when I was pregnant instead of doing it ourselves would they have gone to term? If I rested more? I know it is ridiculous to rehash this but it just comes to mind when yet another thing comes up. Again I feel bad because it is nothing life threatening just a bump in the road. But when I check on them in their cribs sleeping so soundly with their little pouty mouths hanging open, I want everything for them. I want the best. I fear for the day when some kid will make fun of their glasses or the way they walk. How am I going to protect them from everything yet let them live freely? This is motherhood huh?

On the upside she will be able to try out for Professor Trelawney in her high school production of Harry Potter.

Today we picked up her new glasses and she did seem to be happier. She was running around the house and getting into everything. She took off her glasses a few times but kept them on for the most part. Perhaps Derby can learn from her example! Below are some pics of them playing with their fab new water/sand table they got from Meemaw Lisa.

I can SEE you!

HA HA I’m not the only one who has to wear glasses now!

Let me help you with this Derby

I have a feeling we will be doing this a lot

She HAD to have the pink glasses

Private joke between twins

Derby threw his glasses in the water. Good thing Loen was there to rescue them

You need to wear them Derby

I love this table!

Someone got a little out of hand with splashing

Daddy’s beard is itchy

Derby decided he was over playtime

]]> http://thetadpoles.com/2009/05/20/family-of-foureyes/feed/ 4 http://thetadpoles.com/2008/08/07/the-eyes-have-it/ http://thetadpoles.com/2008/08/07/the-eyes-have-it/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:30:56 +0000 Hava http://thetadpoles.com/2008/08/07/the-eyes-have-it/ Monday the twins went to the surgical center to deal with their eye issues. We were the first appointment so we got there before most of the staff. It was SO early but it didn’t really matter because I slept like crap the night before. How about I back up and tell you about the days preceding the surgery.

On Friday my friend Anne came over for lunch to visit (finally). Unfortunately it ended early because I got a horrible stomachache. I seriously thought I had gotten food poisoning. After a couple of hours of lying in a fetal position, thinking about which food that I consumed that could have been the culprit, it went away. While I was lying in bed moaning Tadd decided to take the twins out for a few hours so I could rest. It was the longest he has had them on his own and he did great. I finally recovered, so all should be good in the world right?! Wrong. For the rest of the weekend every time I ate something I felt like I was going to vomit. I worked it out that it wasn’t food poisoning or a virus. No fever, vomiting, diarrhea etc. Then on Sunday night Tadd and I were discussing if we wanted to wake the twins at 2 am to feed them one last time, because after that they wouldn’t be able to eat until they recovered from the anesthesia. I was concerned that would be too long. No need to worry because the twins, the ones who sleep like troopers all through the night, decided to wake up at 12:40 A.M. screaming. Derby was close to inconsolable. I think they knew something was coming up. We fed them and got them back to bed, but of course I was done. I couldn’t stay asleep and was worried. I will jump forward and say that when I ate lunch after coming home from the surgery I was fine. My milk production that unexpectedly dropped last week, it is starting to come back. I guess it was all stress related. Aughh I am glad that is all over.

• Loen: Loen had an exam under anesthesia and it turns out her eyes look fine. No cloudy lens that he could see. She is near sighted in one eye but not the other so she will probably need glasses as a child. No surprise there as Tadd and I both wear (wore) glasses. SOMEBODY got Lasik and it wasn’t me. When they brought her back to recover we were still in the back waiting for them to take Derby. Loen was asleep with a little plastic airway protector in her mouth. She looked very peaceful. Then suddenly it was like everything wore off at once. She spit the tube out of her mouth, rolled over onto her stomach and smiled at everybody. That kid is such a ham.

• Derby: A Super Trooper considering it was a crappy day for him. We expressed our wishes to be in the recovery room when he woke up so he wouldn’t be afraid. That didn’t happen. After what felt like an eternity I could see the Doctor and nurses going in and out of the recovery room. I was waiting for them to come get us and it was driving me up the wall to see them but no one was bringing us back. Finally the doctor came out and said his surgery went well but they were dealing with Derby’s IV and would come get us once they “cleaned it up”. Finally we got to go back and he had the most pathetic and hoarse cry (from having the breathing tube during surgery). He was crying bloody tears (spooky to see let me tell you). His IV infiltrated and they had to take it out before he could get more pain medication. The gave him a dose of oral narcotics but that meant we had to stay in the recovery room for an hour so they could watch him. He was very sad. He calmed once we got him home and then he slept for 6 hours straight. I just sat on the bed watching him. The next day he looked like he had been maced. The white parts of his eyes were swollen and red, but at least he was happy.

  

  We will see the eye doctor next week to see how he is progressing. You know what is really fun? Eye drops! Eye drops 4 times a day!! Derby will be happy and looking at you as you advance with the dropper. I try to warn him that they are coming, but he flips out then refuses to open his eyes again so I can get drops in his other eye. He must think we are torturing him. Did I mention I am so glad that is over with?!

Derby looking irked at me

Loen looking apprehensive like I am going to take her to the Doctors or something (and she would be correct)

Just for the hell of it I threw in a lovely tooth shot of Miss Loen

Notice how I am doing the “mom bounce”. Right before our segment Derby started to get crabby. I noticed he was wet but I wouldn’t have had time to change him before we went on live TV. I was doing my best to keep him quiet, I was also steeling myself for the “air raid” scream. Thank goodness he kept it together till after we were done and decided to scream while we went to make their hand print tiles.

If anyone is interested in donating to CMT on behalf of Cottage Children’s Hospital click HERE

Unfortunately the pictures that Grandpa Jim took turned out blurry. But hey blurry is better than nothin

Shirts

Waiting to go into the taping area

Waiting with Dr. Silverberg

Listening to instructions

Lights…camera….ACTION The making of tiny stars!

Derby was not excited about making the hand print tile

Loen fared a little better

Finished product. Now it just needs to be glazed and mounted on the graduate wall outside of the NICU

After our segment we went up to the NICU to say hi. Derby and Debbie

Loen and Dr. Barkley. Earlier she gave him a big smile.

Derby and his first nurse, Gail (he is acting like he knows how to nurse. What a FAKER)