Glasses and Speech Therapy

I am feeling overwhelmed . . . today was my day off work, which often translates into my day to go to appointments and fit everything in that I don't have time to fit in during the rest of the week when I'm at work. Ethan and Caleb had eye doctor appointments with a pediatric opthamologist. Caleb's appointment was a follow-up from 3 months ago, when we took him in to get a chalezion (small lump that looks like a stye) looked at. While there 3 months ago, the doctor discovered he had far sightedness in his right eye. She gave the option of glasses, but I wanted to take the wait and see approach. So, this was the follow-up to that. I decided to schedule Ethan for a regular check-up at the same time, just to have everything checked out in case it was a similar problem that ran in our children's genes. Well, sure enough Ethan seems to have the same identical problem. He is mostly using his left eye to see, because his right eye has some far sightedness. So, I can't explain everything in the way the doctor described it to me, but basically the doctor is recommending both of the boys getting glasses to correct the vision in their right eyes. She said that children develop their vision up to age 10 usually, and if no correction is made before then, then the children might not ever have the ability to be able to see 20/20. Of course Scott was not able to be at the appointment with us, and is confused with this diagnosis. He wonders why putting a patch over one eye before trying glasses wouldn't be tried first. I asked the doctor that though, and she said because the prescription is so bad in that one eye, that they wouldn't be able to see out of it if the other was covered up. I agree with him though, that this is so early to put a child in glasses. Ages 4 and 2 . . . and this meaning they would probably be wearing glasses the rest of their lives. But if we don't do glasses, then they may never have the potential to see to the best ability. And then of course, there's the cost . . . another thing not planned in our budget that all of a sudden will have to be figured in. I'm sure we'll figure out a way, but it is overwhelming to think about because glasses are not cheap from what I've researched on kids glasses just this afternoon. Then there's the issue of them even keeping them on, breaking them, etc. Scott and I are still figuring out what our course of action will be. One idea is for Scott and I to go in and talk together to the opthamologist so Scott can understand a little better directly from her, why she recommends this. Another option is a second opinion . . . although from what we've been told and heard, she is the best one for pediatric opthamology in this area. It is just hard to know what the right thing to do is. Please pray for us as we make this decision on what to do with this news. On an up note . . . Ethan was a perfect eye patient today. He even sat in the big chair all by himself and got his dilating drops without Mommy even holding his hand! (Much to my disappointment of not being needed by him and being proud of him for doing it all on his own at the same time!)

And onto the second subject of my post, Speech Therapy. While we were at Walmart doing some errands in between waiting for Ethan's eyes to finish dilating before going back to the doctor to be checked (see trying to fit in a million things at once), I got a call from the lady that came and evaluated Caleb for speech therapy from the county last week. She said that Caleb does qualify for the Babynet services. She said everything was fine in the evaluation in every other area, with a small speech delay noted in the speech category. So, they now refer us to a local service, Can Do Kids, who will be calling me within a week to set up therapy appointments and schedule. I am glad that he qualifies for some help, but also overwhelmed at how we're going to fit in these therapy sessions. I'm sure it can all be worked out . . . it's just a lot of news to take in for one day.

Here are some reminders of why I keep working at this thing called motherhood, even with all the overwhelming feelings it often brings me!