We are praying that it has and there is.
She is currently on 3 cardiac meds. One to thin her blood, one to help her heart squeeze harder, and one to lower her blood pressure.
The blood thinner is actually a quarter of a low dose aspirin. She's been on it since her surgery (when she was 6 months old.) Until a few months ago, we would crush it and dissolve it in water, but now I just give it to her whole and let her chew it up. And she does fine with it. I actually think she likes the taste. Every morning after I draw up the other 2 meds, she asks for her "piece" - its so cute!
I just realized that I haven't posted anything about Campbell's glasses. She has had them for several weeks now, and she is doing great with them! I have to say I am very surprised. When the eye doctor first told me she would need them, I asked him how the heck I am supposed to keep glasses on a 2 year old's face. And he told me that she would realize that the glasses are helping her to see, and in turn she would leave them alone. I was like, uh yeah right. See, I got my first pair of glasses at age 3, and I constantly broke/lost them, consequently costing my parents lots of money. But the doctor assured me that nowadays, glasses for little ones are made differently. They are more comfortable, fitted just for them. And therefore they leave them on. Really? I was skeptical.
He was right! At first, she did say, "Hurt. Ear." But after a quick adjustment, they fit her perfectly. The nose piece is made specifically for little ones, and it is very comfortable in case she falls asleep wearing them.
Her need for glasses has nothing to do with her prematurity. Like the doctor said, it is a result of my bad genes! Which, believe it or not, I find comforting. I was concerned about the fact that she was on oxygen until she was 7 months old, because I had read articles about kids on O2 having eye problems down the road. But he explained that those problems have to do with blood vessels at the back of the eye, and that we are past the window of opportunity for those problems to arise. She is however, farsighted. And her left eye doesn't always track exactly with her right. So these glasses will help both problems. And the doctor thinks they will just be temporary. :)
A question I am asked constantly is "How can the doctor tell she is farsighted? She can't read an eye chart." Well, the best way I can explain it is that the doctor holds different strengths of lenses up to her eye and shines a light through the lens. He can tell what her prescription is by observing the way her eye reacts to the light through the lens. Pretty nifty, eh? I find it amazing actually. And I have really noticed a change in her activities since she got her glasses. She will sit and color for much longer now. And she looks at her books with new intensity. Being farsighted, she probably feels like she is seeing them for the first time. Before, when she would quickly move from one activity to another, I figured she just had a short attention span. But now after observing her since she got her glasses, I can see that everything seems to hold her interest longer. Plus her OT is already very impressed with the improvement in her fine motor skills! And her PT thinks that the glasses will help with her goal of walking up and down stairs as well. Her depth perception was probably thrown off before. It all makes sense. So grateful for the advances in technology that allow my daughter to see and in turn, progress through her milestones! Go Cam!
We met for her semi-annual IFSP meeting last week with all of her therapists and her Early Intervention care coordinator, and we learned a little bit about transitioning into preschool. Which just seems crazy! But at age 3, her services will be handled by the school district. So we have an appointment at the school in March, where she will be evaluated for services.
My babies are just growing up way too fast!
