Eyes

Ava had a pretty early eye appointment this morning.  It actually probably isn't that early for most people, probably closer to midmorning, but for us, it was early, especially since we had to leave 45 minutes before the appointment started to make sure we got there on time.  So both kids were dressed and mostly groomed.  Rhys' hair typically has no hope.  It always looks like he just woke up so I just let it go.  I get it wet, he puts on a hat and it all ends the same.  I was neither...barely dressed all the way as it turns out, since I found out my zipper had been down the whole time when we got home.  I am on a roll!

Anyway, for once there was no wait.  We were in and out of the rooms like nobody's business which is nice when it turns out to be an hour and a half long appointment.  Rhys was a little out of hand, so Ava sat up in the exam chair all by herself.  I will pretty much let her do this all the time from now on because she did amazing.  There was no silly baby talk or pretending to be shy.  She called out the pictures on the wall with enthusiasm, she held still, she cooperated with three different sets of drops (though she did wipe the yellow dye ones on the sleeve of her white sweater).  She even let them do pressure checks with the tonal pen

and the Goldmann applanation tonometer

The doctor decided she did so well that he wanted to get a picture of her optic nerve. So We got to do that test too, which is look into a little lens with a tiny green light in it and stare straight ahead and hold still while the computer takes a bunch of pictures of the back of her eye. She managed to do this too. The eye doctor said she was probably the first 4 year old he has ever seen that has been able to actually get a picture.

Anyway, the end result of the appointment was her pressures were up a tiny bit in her left eye, with a slightly more noticeable cupping of the optic nerve in the left eye and some slight difference in the nerve based on the fancy picture. Her left eye has always been the "good eye". I vaguely remember when we had our surgery consult at Children's the doctor wanted to do surgery on the left eye first. We were confused as to why she wanted to do the good eye, but I guess it does make sense now. We are adding a drop of xalatan to the left eye at night, instead of just doing the right eye.