The day it all changed.
I will never forget that day.
The day before we had gone to the Pumpkin farm. We had planned for the mall for the next day. Family time with our 20 month old and 2 week old.
God had other plans.
We found ourselves instead at the doors of the Emergency Room at The Hospital for Sick Children.
A place no parent wants to find themselves.
A place I had been to many times for work as a summer student at a research lab. Then in clinical rotations for my studies as a Respiratory Therapist.
Never did I imagine I would be crossing the threshold with my own child.
And there I found myself.
With my 2 week old infant. With the white spot in her eye.
That is were a Resident sat next to me and asked me of I knew what Retinoblastoma was.
It crushed my world.
Thankfully, I never had to learn more about it.
Instead, by the end of a looooooooong day I learned my baby girl had a cataract. Caused by PHPV.
Surgery. Contacts. Patching. I was in overload.
I remember sitting in that waiting room at the Eye Clinic. Our very first visit. I had no idea how well we would get to know that place.
I remember the tears that followed. For days. For weeks. For months.
I never thought we would get through it.
But we did.
Thanks to my wonderful hubby and all of my fellow eye moms. No one understands like you. No one can offer support like you.
Thank you to all of you. To those that I've met and feel like old friends. And to those I haven't but wish I could.
You are all heaven sent. You really are.
Many, many, many visits later to the Eye Clinic and it feels comfortable now.
Now I look at the other moms in tears and wish I could tell them it was going to be OK.
I know we have a long long road ahead of us, but I also know we have come so very far.
We had no idea what to expect.
But here we are. A year later. A stronger family. A stronger parent than I ever thought I could be.
Funny what love does.
We love that little girl so very much and there is nothing we wouldn't do for her.
Even if it makes her angry now.
I pray one day she understands. I think she will.
She knows we love her and that all we do for her is because of that.
And I have faith that it will all pay off.
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| My beautiful, brave Pumpkin! |
What a difference time can make! I know time can move either slowly or too fast though, but your right it will all be ok. So glad we have one another, us "eye moms!" It truly has made this experience less isolating and more normal.
ReplyDeleteNicole looks beautiful in her Birthday photo! Love the earings... Azalea has her ears pierced too.
Thanks Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI read your blog.
I see you were in a rough spot one year ago as well.
Makes me gush with happiness to see how great our kids are doing!
Now instead of tears I am going to bundle my girls up and take them outdoors and have some fun.
I know, aren't earrings just so sweet!?
She is so adorable, and brave. So happy that you guys made it to the year after surgery mark.
ReplyDeleteMy little guy was still safely tucked away when you were having your first encounter with the word congenital cataract (or retinoblastoma). They thought that was what Austin had at first. I am relieved that that wasn't the case for Austin or Nicole.
Without all of the "eye moms" that I have "met" on here, I would have probably lost what little of my mind is left. :)
Thanks Missy! We are almost at a year post surgery. Crazy how much things have changed!
ReplyDeleteYay for a year!! Even though my son is 21 months, we aren't at a year yet. I feel, in some ways, that each day of the Eye should get it's own post. Thank goodness for awesome kids that make the patching worth it:)
ReplyDelete