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| We made some 2 year cupcakes:) |
So, here is what, "He has been patching for 2 years" looks like.
It is definitely easier, but still not easy. In fact, we are still in a separate solar system from easy. ( But we are getting pretty close to breaking that barrier. Are there barriers between solar systems?)
Anderson patches all but 4 hours of his day. He is awake anywhere from 14-16 hours a day, which means that we still patch quite a bit. We try to round up because, as you know, WE CAN'T OVERPATCH. Mostly, this is because WE DON'T GET THIS TIME BACK.
It blows my mind to think that we have been doing this every day for 2 years. People say, "I can't imagine." And, you are right. Unless you are an imom, you really can't.
He is pretty good with the patch now. He is a million times easier than he was a year ago at this time. (KNOCK ON WOOD!) The 4 hours off has literally changed our lives because we don't live in fear like we used to and combined with the fact that he leaves it on much better means that we are looking pretty good for significant chunks of time. There are still some days where he has hidden 5 of them by 6:30am, but there are also days where we have only gone through 3 all day, so there is definite progress.
He doesn't have a color preference anymore, but I like to try to coordinate as much as I can (red for Christmas, etc.) and I still avoid the yellow ones, as I just don't care for them.
If we have just put a new one on & it is time for bed, I make him take it off because it just looks painful as he rips his ski/hair off. I feel terrible about this, but he usually obliges. I can't bring myself to do it :(
He doesn't really like it, but he will tolerate it if we threaten to take away toys, etc. His favorite excuse for taking it off is, "My eyepatch is sweating." Followed closely by, "This one is broken", " My eyepatch isn't working" and "I don't want to be a pirate, I want to be a firefighter." The worst is, "I don't like it." :(
My mom is still my hero.
Our biggest obstacles:
-The car. Always.
-When he is frustrated (also, always), the very first thing he does is rip off his eyepatch. He has been a bit grumpier over the last few weeks, which has made it a little bit harder. (The grumpiness is proof that the kid still needs a nap, which I would like to point out to everyone who tells me, "that is great he doesn't need a nap." Oh, he needs a nap, but the problem is that when he naps, he stays up later but wakes at the same time, which means he is Awful for the entire next day. There is no answer. Except to hope with every fiber of my being that this next kid can tolerate a nap at least a bit longer in his life. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? I am afraid I will never let go of my nap bitterness.)
-Fighting the normal 2 year old battles with the patch as an added bonus.
-The constant patch. Sometimes, I just want 1 day, just 1, without a patch.
Our biggest rewards:
-Anderson is awesome and I get proof of his ability to adapt and overcome every single day.
-This is not fatal or the end of the world.
-Anderson is such a person, which I completely attribute to the patch. The other day he said, "I get frustrated when you walk ahead of me." and " Remember the last time we were here there were 2 trucks and one had a dent sitting right there. It was in a wreck." I realize none of this is proof that my kid is a genius or anything, but he was constantly engaged for such a long time in a desperate attempt at keeping the patch on that some of the observation skills stuck with him. He is very perceptive and remembers everything. ( For example, he told me, "Yesterday, when you were gone, Daddy gave me a whole bowl of oreos that I ate while I watched TV." Ha ha. Busted!)
-I am not bothered by people in public anymore. This is probably the most surprising part because I was crazy sensitive in the beginning. People are still rude & stare, but I just stare back or volunteer information about his eye. No big deal. Some guy said, "One eyed Willie!" to Anderson the other day, which I mostly just thought was odd, but I wasn't sad, or even mad. Progress!
-We have made it 2 years and we are still going strong! I never thought this day would be here during those early days of worry and fear and questions.
-My imoms! Thanks to our travel agent, Amanda, we are trying to plan a meeting for next summer! How lucky am I that I found this group of moms who are literally in the boat with me as we fight down the obstacles of pediatric cataracts? Love you all!
2 years... Wow, I remember the first day still. We were thrilled when he kept it on for 2 minutes.
ReplyDeleteThe child does remember everything. Funny that he busted Brandon. I will have to remind him that 'what happens at Noni and Bops stays at Noni and Bops'. :)
Love you my dear.
You are amazing. Anderson is amazing. COngrats on two years - you have earned a huge celebration dance!!
ReplyDeleteis the travel agent our amanda, or an imom amanda? or a real travel agent? just curious.
ReplyDeletedid you see my latest post? i paid a little homage to my fellow sleepless moms, i.e., you and nicole...
also, as i was reading this, an image popped into my head that i had forgotten about: me going over to get jacob from my mom's house about 6:30 one night (she had been watching him), and finding them asleep in the bed. because "he was so tired, he needed a nap." yep, you can guess what ensued....
Kids that don't sleep... AHHHH!!! It is so unbelievably frustrating. We need their naps as much as they do. I swear. They are still cranky. They are tired. The nap just isn't worth them getting less than 8 hours of sleep they do get at night. Blake still requires very little sleep. But he is 8 and when he gets up, he doesn't cry or eat batteries or start fires. ;) He never did that last one. It just was always a worry of mine, when he would climb out of his crib. He reads a book or watches a cartoon or plays his nintendo or gets his cereal. I feel for you! The only comfort I have for you is that they grow up eventually, but that doesn't move it into the realm of easy. Also school does make him fall asleep faster.
ReplyDeleteTWO years with the EYE! I am so proud of you! You are amazing, dealing with a patch and a sleepless toddler. And actually following through every single day. That is the kicker. You are strong and so is your little man. WAY TO GO!
You are my hero. You and all the imoms that are a year (or almost a year) ahead of me. I feel like I get to soak up all your experiences and have someone to say to me "it does get better." You and Anderson are that living proof.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do think our kiddos are smarter than the average bear. That is either because we are amazing or they are just perceptive. I think the EYE stuff definitely makes them more resiliant (and definitely good problem solvers). What other kids would figure out at age 13 months that if their arms are restrained they can rub their faces on the ground to remove a patch. Our kids - that's who.
And I am super, super pumped about OeyeO...can't wait to see all of you in person!
Phew! You constantly amaze me with your energy (could I have just a little?)
ReplyDeleteAnd really, all I can think of is oreos after reading this post. We need to have OreOs at our OeyeO conference!
Just to clarify, this "whole bowl of Oreos" was indeed a small bowl containing a sinlge package of mini Oreos. I think there were a total of six or seven, which in my best estimate would equal 2-2.5 normal sized Oreo cookies. But I digress. What kid wouldn't want a dad that feeds him oreos for dinner. If I remember correctly, I think he washed those Oreos down with chocolate syrup mixed with a little milk.
ReplyDeleteBrandon
As the newest imom (I think) and the one with the oldest child (she's 4), I want to say that I think and hope that patching will get easier. Our first few weeks were rough, but then we switched the type of patch we were using and started with an eye patch chart. Huge difference. She picks the patch for the day and the prize after completing the chart. So far it's been clothes for her Build-A-Bear (no red convertible...yet). Rarely, do we use more than one patch a day. It hasn't been an easy road. She cries, I cry. Her patch gets itchy and sticky and her hair gets caught in it. I hear 'Can I take my patch off?' every 2 minutes for 4 hours, but she does it. Our battles are more socially related. We don't wear the patch to school or when she has to be around peers. And because it's only 4 hours, we have the luxury to work around our schedule. I know this pales in comparison to the trenches you walked, heck, crawled through, but I hope it offers some hope.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Darcie.... I would like some of your energy!
I am honored to be the imom "travel agent." lol It's been a pleasure organizing the OeyeO Conference 2013. But honestly, YOUR story is my guiding light. I am so grateful that you continue to share the ups and downs of Anderson's journey. You detail everything with such passion, dedication, and love... you inspire me, especially on the hard days.
ReplyDeleteWe all have come so far, yet we still have so much more to overcome. I am not afraid anymore because I know I am not alone. I am looking forward to meeting all of our extended ifamilies. And at the risk of sounding like a creepy stalker... I love the cyber support we give each other but I truly can not wait to just simply give each of you a real hug.