We headed out to the eye dr. after I rushed home from a ladies aid meeting/luncheon. Upon arrival and sign in we sit and read books to a happy little boy. When his name is finally called we go back to a room for the introduction where we are questioned and then sent to another waiting room. At this point it has been about 45 min. since arrival and all my little busy man wants to do is get down and explore which of course is not possible.
We are finally brought into see the dr. and have to continually distract, restrain, and creatively dance around so the eye dr. can see his eye wandering. That was fun enough but after about 15 min. of that they proceed to put in eye drops. Oh, yes...that was enjoyable...but not the end. We have to then wait 5 minutes and they have to do it again.
The second time begins the melt down. We head out to the large waiting room now filled with people, with a wailing child and I realize we have become one of those parents. Yes, the ones that get the sympathetic stares from other parents and judgemental looks from those who are not. I step outside with him for a moment but with the cold rainy weather it is not really a place we can stay. So I come back in and walk back and forth. I try once or twice to sit down only to have him start crying again. I look down and realize we have been there a good hour and 1/2. No wonder he's on melt down.
We are finally called back again by a compassionate assistant and then try to get him to look into the light. He is crying uncontrollably and Kevin has to hold him down as the eye dr. holds his eye open. We fight through this and the wailing for awhile more as he slowly wears down from cry but is still uncooperative. I try to tell them that for the most part Jack really is a happy guy but I don't know if I can really convince them of that.
We find out that while most children are far sighted at this age, he is nearsighted. They will not do anything yet but we do need to keep an eye on him and help him to play with things close up. We will go back in six months. At that time it will be a morning appt. and I will be armed with a backpack full of tricks and treats.
The hardest part was when Kevin took Jack to the car. I had to wait in the room with the dr. for the release paperwork and had to listen to him record his information for a letter to our dr. As I stood there trying to act like I wasn't paying attention by looking at glaucoma pics, he was sharing about how my son was uncooperative and so his diagnosis was not conclusive. He's 15 months old...we had been there for 2 hours, and he's suppose to be cooperative. I understand why he had to say it, but still.
So we walked out of there emotionally spent and headed out realizing we were one of those parents.
I am someone who has been molded and shaped through the many paths and places I have walked...I have seen little and much...I believe but struggle to have faith...I desire to know God but still at times run from him...I desire life but at times lack the bravery to chase after it...I am me but all that that entails is still a mystery.
4 comments:
hmmmm...."one of those parents"
...that would be, um, ALL OF US? Every one of my children at one point has completely FREAKED OUT in a public setting when I needed them to be "good."
Who cares what the doctor says? It's his job. He can deal with it. That's what you are paying (an arm and a leg, I'm sure) for. Don't sweat it, honey. We've been there.
We once waited to see a doctor for FIVE hours with Charleigh, only to be told after the doctor saw her for five minutes that she had asthma and that if we didn't follow the doctors orders to the T she could die. I went home and bawled my eyes out.
oh and um....she doesn't have asthma.
poor guy...he was just getting tired of it all.
I used to work for some optometrists who would never have treated a patient like you were treated. I think the hardest case I ever saw them with was a less than 2 year old patient that had to have contacts because she had cataract surgery and could not see anthing without contacts. If you think Jack cried a lot, it could be worse! You may be better off finding a family oriented optometrist rather than going to an ophthalmologist. They tend to see less patients in a day and give more personalized attention. I'm guessing that you may not have enough doctors around to have a pediatric specialist near by.
Oh, Amy, I soooooo understand what you are going through. My Jack-Jack had to have his eyes dilated for the first time at the age of 11 months. Since then, we go back every three to six months so that they can keep on top of his condition. Jack-Jack is now SIX!
:-(
Ya have to wonder, how can they really tell about a 15-month-old's eyesight!?!?!?!?!
Hang in there, and DON'T WORRY about the "one of those parents" stares: we ALL get them, especially under those conditions!
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