The Return of Super Doctor

Remember Super Doctor? (Someday, I will have the time to figure out how to and create hyperlinks to past blog posts, but for now, sorry). Super Doctor is the pediatric neuro-ophthamologist that did Sam's surgery. We heart him. Like really really really heart him. I always leave his office feeling so much better about things. He's been practicing pediatric medicine for a long time, is super specialized, and likely has seen it all . . . he takes the time to answer all of our questions, and he's incredibly thorough when he examines our Bean. We saw him yesterday (for a follow-up post-surgery) and he did not disappoint. The highlights:

Sam's prescription has gone from a +7 something to a +4.5 --- That's OUTSTANDING. And, it also explains why the little stinker has been pulling her glasses off non-stop lately - she's trying to see far away, and she can't with her present lenses. That was what B and I had guessed, and so we were right. So, I dropped our signature lavender frames off at the optical shop today before work, and she's sporting her old pink frames for a few days:



He was also able to explain some of the other "interesting" stuff Sammie B does with her eyes. For instance, she looks up a lot. We worried that this was an eye issue, though B had hypothesized (we hypothesize about our little Bean quite a bit) that it was just behavorial. The neurologist had mentioned ocular apraxia but Super Doctor confirmed that it is NOT ocular apraxia and that indeed, its just one of Sammie B's many quirks, and it is behavioral. She does it when she wants to avoid something . . . which explains why she does it a lot in PT and when we are feeding her and she doesn't want to eat. It's an avoidance thing.

She also still crosses her eyes sometimes, but rarely, and Super Doctor said hopefully, she'll stop that. So, that one, we wait out. Finally, the OT had noticed that Sam has a hard time focusing on things when she's moving (i.e. swinging). Super Doctor said that's normal for a kid with her delays, and that that part of the brain is just still developing (it's the last part of the brain to develop). Again, it will come. Just wait.

This running theme of "be patient" and "wait" drives me crazy, but reassures me at the same time. I don't like to be patient, but knowing that this Super Doctor expects everything to eventually fall into place for our Bean makes me feel oh so much better.

We do have ONE more "condition" to add to Sammie B's list . . . congenital nystagmus. Not a huge deal, but when she looks to the left, her eyeball shakes a little bit. Can't even detect it when you look at her, but the doctor could. To accomodate for that, Sammie B doesn't track things to the left with her eye all the time -- she turns her head. Super Doctor said this is actually a fabulous sign because the difference in her vision from this "shaking" is SOOOOOOOO very subtle, yet the fact that she's noticed it and learned to accomodate for it says that her vision is pretty stinking good AND she's figured it out. He said he LOVES to see that type of accomodative behavior, especially this young.

So, again. Patience. Forever elusive, that whole patience thing!

(Oh he also assured me that he's worked with many a kid with our Sammie B's low-tone and motor "issues" and "somehow they all turn out okay." Oh Super Doctor, I hope you are right!).