Karli's right eye had been crossing once in a while, so I finally took her to a pediatric ophthalmologist and she was diagnosed with "severe near-sightedness" in that eye. Since the doctor seemed to be very rushed, I didn't catch the scientific name of her condition and was too flustered to ask about it again, but the coating around her optic nerves didn't wear away like it was supposed to and her vision is very bad in the right eye. Hence, she is now in glasses with a super-thick lens and required to wear and eye patch on her left eye "from the moment she wakes up until one hour before bedtime" according to the doctor.
She got her glasses on Monday afternoon, so we put them on her with the patch. She couldn't even see five inches in front of her and was completely frustrated. It broke my heart when I pointed out a butterfly that was resting on a flower. She put her face right up to it and sobbed, "I can see ANYTHING!" I had to fight back my own tears and tell her how great it was for her to be able to exercise her right eye. She seems to be doing better now, and even though we have to fight with her every time she needs a new patch, she's focusing a bit and can see a few things with her right eye.
Karli is supposed to wear "sticky patches" which are like eye-shaped bandages with adhesive all around the edges, but her poor skin gets pulled off every time we remove a patch and is sore, cracked, and irritated. I made her this flannel patch that slides right over her glasses, but I had to throw it away today because she cheats when she wears it.
The eye doctor said that six weeks of faithful patch wearing usually does wonders for kids with this condition, but there's no way to know for sure. We'll either be singing praises of joy in five weeks or gearing up for a long road of patches, tantrums, nagging, and the like.
One thing that has made this awful process bearable is all the great support we're getting from our families and friends. Everyone has been so wonderful, telling Karli how cute she looks with her pirate patches and Dora glasses, buying her fun rewards, encouraging her, etc. We couldn't do it without you!
All in all, though, Karli is a great little trooper and looks so precious in those tiny glasses. She carries around her Sleeping Beauty mirror and checks herself out all the time, which is darling, and we have loads of cool stickers for her to decorate her patches. Amber has been a wonderful helper, too. She takes such good care of Karli and helps her climb, walk, and navigate rough terrain, using her perfect "bossy skills" to ensure that Karli leaves her patches on. I'm proud of both my sweet little girls!
