Thomas Update {second surgery scheduled}!

Just wanted to pop in with a little update on Thomas. I am so humbled by the prayers, emails, gifts, meals, cards and more that we continue to receive. I truly have wonderful friends and readers and am so thankful. It seems like just when I’m about to hit my breaking point, a sweet email rolls in or flowers show up at my door and I’m encouraged all over again that we can do this!!

Yesterday we had our 500th checkup for the little man. He is doing really great. The doctor was really pleased with Thomas’ healing progress and informed us that we can reduce our eye drop regimen from four types of medicated drops four times a day (yes, 16 drops total!) down to TWO medications twice a day! Hallelujah! Squeezing those drops into an infant’s eyes every few hours was rough. Thomas has really grown to hate the drops and they burn his eyes and irritate his eye lid, eye brow and cheek really bad. As much as I hate the drops, I know they are helping him heal so I try to remind myself of that when I am at my wits end trying to pry his tightly shut eye open and missing his eye several times until enough of the medication makes it in! We also still have to keep his shield on his eye when he isn’t being closely monitored so he doesn’t rub his eye or worse, his sister pokes his eye. I have a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with this thing too because every time I remove it to administer the drops the tape pulls his skin so badly and he freaks out.

But seriously, perspective. This could be so much worse. I know it. And to all of the readers who have reached out to me with their similar or even more challenging stories, I applaud you for being such strong mamas!

So we have a date for the second surgery – October 6. Next Tuesday! We were a little upset with how far apart the surgeries were scheduled because we are ready to get past this first big hurdle and we have another big family medical procedure quickly approaching that we’re trying to prepare for. But, our doctor assured us that it would be better to space the surgeries out to reduce the risk of infection and other complications. So we are trying to stay patient. But it’s hard.

Since Thomas’ surgery I have been working from home so I could administer the eye drops myself but yesterday I took Thomas to daycare so I could return to the office. It was so much harder than I had anticipated. He’d been in daycare for about a week before we found out about his condition and I handled that transition okay, but leaving him anywhere now (including his swing while I fold laundry) makes me so anxious. I constantly worry he is scared or looking for me. But his teachers really are so great and before I left they told me about a blind baby they cared for a few years ago and how much he learned and grew in that year together. They said they would be working on different types of sensory development activities with Thomas and would really capitalize on his strengths.

So now we just need to get through this next surgery! Thomas will recover for about two weeks before we begin our contacts journey (which we’ve been informed is the hardest part in all of this)! But I can’t wait. I am dying for the day that Thomas gets his contacts in and we can watch his reaction. We don’t know how much he will be able to see but we are praying for a healing miracle!