The Daily Hailey

Our day started out really well. Dekker slept in like crazy, and we got him up around noon so we could leave for Saskatoon at 12:30 and be a tad early for our appointment at 1:30. It was one of those mornings where we sort of just put him in his hair chair and checked in on him once in a while, but we were moving around and getting ready while he ate. He was eating very quietly all on his own while I did my makeup in the bathroom. I poked my head out at one point to check on him and he just looked up innocently and inquired “Nana?” He’s never asked for something that way before, and I was so pleased 🙂 Of course he can have his banana! Heck, the kid can have fifteen bananas today if he wants!

We got on the road at the right time, got to the hospital ten minutes early, got registered, got to the waiting room, and only waited about five minutes before we got into the first chunk of our appointment. It was all the preliminary tests done by a student and her supervisor. Dekker did sooo well during the tests! He had done pretty well last time as well, but this was a definite improvement, just in the way that he tolerated all the annoyances of having things thrust in front of his eyes and then taken away, the tv across the room being flicked on and off, and not being able to actually hold the toys they dangled in front of his face. I was sooo impressed! The only time he cried was when they would put a patch over one eye to test the other on its own. But who really enjoys that?? No one, thats who. I answered all of her questions, and she liked my answers. He liked books more since the glasses. He was less afraid of people. His speech has sky rocketed. He doesn’t fight the glasses at all. It all sounded good. However, I could tell that some of the tests she was running were resulting similarly, if not the same as last time he had them done two months ago. We dealt mostly with the one student but she brought her supervisor in towards the end and he reran a few of the tests. When they were done, he said that his eye doctor would confirm things in a few minutes but that Dekker’s eyes have not improved. At least the turn has not. If anything, its gotten a little worse. The supervisor described him as a likely “surgical case.” BUT, he said, Dr Rubab would look behind his eyes and see if the issue could maybe be solved by a stronger prescription. So they sent us back out to the waiting area.

I have to say, a big part of me was already choked. But I didn’t panic. I just breathed and gave Dekker a snack. We read a book and a few short minutes later, we were called into the second exam room to see his doctor. I was quite impressed with how quick everything went, since I think we all expect things to run behind in the health care system, especially at the hospital. But it was very quick. Dr. Rubab didn’t run too many tests. Only one or two exercises in, she was commenting that really, there was no positive change at all. If anything, his eyes were definitely choosing a favorite now, making the left eye much weaker than the right. She decided we should now patch Dekker’s right eye underneath his glasses in an effort to make the left one work a little harder. We are to do this for two months, every waking moment of Dekker’s day. Our appointment at that point will see if the effort has made any difference. But she was very straight forward with us and said that he will most likely be put up for surgery at that point.

My heart is very heavy about the whole thing, even though I know the risks will be minimal and I will have SO much support and love and prayers. I just still need the peace, and the strength for my kid and the rest of my family.

This is really all I have the energy to write right now. Dekker hasn’t napped all day and is a wild handful, if I’m being honest. So I’m going to go help Brady with that, and have supper before we put Dekker to bed. Please continue to pray for my family.