Easton's Eye - Part 5

And the timeline
continues...
I must say though
looking back
does remind me
of what we have
been through
but it also shows me
how far
we have come.

For example, today

we took the twins
out and about
of course Easton
was patching
in public
two stores
and one sit down
restaurant
to be exact
and not one
comment
question
or obvious
rude stare.
NOT ONE!

December 2010
It was the holiday season

taking infant twins
anywhere
was an adventure
and a spectacle
add a patch
over Easton's Eye
and I might as well
wear a neon flashing
sign that said
"Don't ask."

Either I was
newly sensitive
or people were just
rude and nosy
but we could not
go anywhere
without being
starred at
stopped
and asked
"what's wrong
with his Eye?!"

I knew most
were genuinely
concerned
kind
curious
but what they didn't
realize
is that they
weren't the first
and they
wouldn't be the last
to ask
to ask that day
or even
to ask in that
one store.

And aside from
annoyingly 
repeating myself
a million times
mostly it hurt
simply because
it was a million
little reminders
of how people saw
the patch
before they saw
my sweet boy's
beautiful
baby face.

And that was really
(and still is)
one of my biggest fears
that Easton
would be unfairly
treated
judged
based on his
appearance
and not on
who he truly is.

December 8
Easton's Eye Exam with the
pediatric glaucoma specialist
I will never forget
meeting him
for the first time.

As a mother
seeking information
seeking support
he suggested
I read the chapter
he wrote on
pediatric glaucoma
which was
in some textbook
in some library
that I was sure
to easily find.
Ha. 
Ok.

Also before
conducting his exam
to check the pressure
in Easton's eye
he showed and explained
how he would use
an eye opening device
that "wouldn't hurt"
but upon removal
Easton might have
"pink tears."
Ummm just
punch me now
in the stomach
and let's get this
over with.

Honestly, I
chalk this one up
as a win
we left
without seeing any
pink tears
and learned
the glaucoma
was retreating
on it's own
and Easton's eye
looked to be
healing well
revealing a seemingly
healthy optic nerve.

VERY good news.
Thank you VERY much.
Good bye.
We will follow up
with our
VERY gentle
regular PO.

January 2011
Happy New Year!
Happy Contact Hunting!
HaHa I wish
it was Happy in
Contact Hell.

The roller coaster
went something
like this...
ahhh contact in
oh wait
do you see it
uhhh it's lost
sighhh
oh wait
found it
yayyy
good it's back in
nope
lost again
try to find it
again
ohhh nope
not finding it

re-ordering
re-sizing
wait
did it flip out
did it pop off
did he just rub
arghhhh
gone
it's gone
again
wait
flashlight
found it
try putting it
back in
again

Repeat
Repeat
Repeat again
All in one hour
All in one day
All in one week
Repeat

January 31
I remember this day
I remember
Easton asleep
swaddled in his
bouncer chair

I remember
the contact
already fell out
early that morning
I remember
I found it, but
Daddy was at work.

I remember
thinking I have to
I have to try
I have to learn
I have to do this
I have to today.

I remember
trembling
hands shaking
sitting right next
to him
sleeping
I remember
my face
leaning in
breathing
right over his
I remember
I had seen
my husband
do this
a thousand times.

I remember
I did it
somehow
I remember
I wrote down
this day
I did it
I got Easton's contact
in and on his Eye
for the first time
I remember
this day
like yesterday.


February 9, 2011
Easton was a little
over 4 months old
we had been
waiting for
working on
looking at
longing to
see a sign
something concrete
evidence
that Easton
could see
with his "bad" Eye
contact corrected
vision?!

I wrote
in the baby
notebook
Easton followed
my hand
wearing his contact
today!
Tears
Tears of JOY
Tears of pride.

February 17
Life on the roller coaster
in Contact Hell
has good days
and bad days
(one might note
this still happens
in the present day)

This particular day
made history
because it was both
not necessarily
an uncommon
occurrence
but this was one
of the firsts
and it changed
things.

The bad part was
we had lost
yet another contact
searched
looked
hands knees
flashlights
hours
bummed it was
gone.

The good part was
we didn't need
to be bummed
anymore
when we found
the contact
on Easton's bum!
It fell
into my hand
as I was placing
him in the baby
bathtub of water.

The part that changed
things
was we began to have
a sense of humor
over all of it
I mean really
how could we not
laugh at that
laugh at ourselves
laugh at our silly
baby boy
who was hiding
a contact
that we looked for
all day
on his lil baby butt!

If we had learned
anything
up to this point
it was that
we could do this

we were doing this
and it was
worth it

it was worth
ALL of it!