Around 6 months old, we noticed our daughter's eyes going what we lovingly referred to as
googly. She would take turns using a different eye. Whichever one she was not using would
turn in pretty severely. When we realized she was not going to outgrow this condition on her own, we brought her to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist.Peyton Jade, was diagnosed with Large Angled Esotropia early 2006 when she was 7.5 months old. We were saddened at the prospect of her undergoing surgery. Now, we realize, we were silly for worrying, the surgeries were the BEST option we could have chosen for her-the sooner the better before the muscle becomes too learned on turning in. I am getting ahead of myself...
The PO had us combine patch therapy with bifocal glasses- OH! How tiny those glasses were!
At the age of 7.5 months she was sooo not loving the idea of glasse
s. She actually welcomed her patch wearing & was in her 7th Heaven because she could focus the single eye without battling to focus both eyes.We were told she could only see objects, including people as blurred geometrical figures. This helped us understand why she preferred to lie in her bed with all the various colorful wall hangings & toys we provided for her. She would lie on her back so content just staring at all that infant eye candy.
Car rides were NOT her friend, imagine driving backwards, seeing a smorgasbord of blurs all the while never being able to focus. She would cry miserably.
She had her 1st surgery 5 days after she turned 10 months (03.20.2006). This surgery would loosen her two inner eye muscles. I couldn't sleep the night before, as I was terrified most of the anesthesia & "would she wake up?" She was so playful & giddy while we prepared to set off for the Cleveland Clinic. Little did she know they were going to be invading her beautiful eyes with tiny little blades-morbid, I know, but this was my thoughts.Can I just say she was such a little doll in her hospital gown?! Surgery was a success & I nursed her the moment I got into the room- she nursed for so long & when she unlatched she looked me in the eye with BOTH eyes FOCUSED! She was back to being silly & giddy- my husband & I cried with such happiness.
The ONLY evidence of her having surgery was some blood in her eyes- it was not as bad as I had anticipated at all!
She was slightly miserable th
e evening of surgery but by the next day, she was loving life having focused vision- her smiles became so much bigger & her face brighter. She received such a renewed zest for life- it was amazing the transformation we saw in her! She actually LOVED car rides & would coo & sing- where was that crying miserable baby that detested the car before?
Peyton was still not sitting on her own nor did she have much body muscle tone. Per the pediatricians recommendation, we took her to Physical Therapy & a Neurologist to rule out any other underlying issues. We kept assuming her delays were due to her vision, but that wasn't confirmed right away- turns out we were right & she is PERFECT!
She sat up unassisted the week after her 1st surgery & began crawling at 11 months. The 1st time she pulled to a stand was in the bath tub around 13 months- the use of water 
was all she needed to gain some confidence. She took her 1st steps at 15 months & has NEVER looked back!Another eye surgery was scheduled on May 15 2006- her 1st birthday! At 1st I was so sad that that would be how we celebrated her 1st year, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was scheduled perfectly! She would go into her 2nd year as a whole new beginning!
Her birthday theme was " I can see clearly now that I am one!" (♪♪I can see clearly now the rain has gone...♪♪)
Peyton began needing to wear bifocals again after she turned 2.
She is now 44 months: Her right eye has a tendency to float out, especially when she is tired. With surgery & the tightening/loosening of eye muscles, there is an opportunity for the eyes to float up or out. We patch her left eye a couple hours a day while she wears her bifocals. The patching was much easier when she was an infant, however, she does wear her glasses a lot easier now.
Although the process seemed long & at times tiresome, we were thankful and felt beyond blessed as we knew we were not dealing with anything life threatening.
That is our journey with our daughter on her road to receiving the best option available to lead a healthy, happy & focused (pun intended) life!
Thank-you for reading & allowing me to share.
