Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Thank You, St. Lucy

Some of you may be aware of the anxiety and worry Cody and I have been experiencing over the last two months regarding Sean. Thank you all for your prayers on his behalf. For everyone else, allow this to serve as an excuse for our absence from this blog and an update on our life for the last two months. About two months ago Sean started inexplicably crossing his eyes (technically, only his right eye, pictured below).






The pediatrician thought he was having seizures and sent us to a neurologist. The neurologist agreed with the seizure theory and sent Sean for an EEG (pictured directly below) and an MRI (requiring full anesthesia), and started Sean on Keppra, and anti-seizure medicine.



It is not fun watching your baby go through this and feeding him strong anti-seizure medicine everyday. I would cringe everytime we had to give it to him.

The Keppra did nothing for him except cause temper tantrums in our normally sweet and obedient boy. We were frustrated and worried, imagining Sean having petit mal seizures the rest of his life and living from dose to dose of this seemingly worthless medicine. (Both the MRI and EEG were normal).


We were praying every day for him. Specifically, my prayer was that whatever was causing him to cross his eyes was not seizure or brain related, but something in his eye muscle, thus eliminating the need for the Keppra, and for the solution to be "just glasses." The neurologist assured us it was not just his eyes and the opthalmalogist wouldn't be able to help. Then, my grandmother, Emmy, came upon a St. Lucy prayer card in her local Catholic bookstore. St. Lucy is the patron saint of eyes. Even though we were being told the problem wasn't his eyes, I felt pulled to pray to St. Lucy anyway, asking for her intervention. We started praying to St. Lucy with Sean every night, often touching his eyes. We got an appointment with the best pediatric opthalmologist in Charleston. We finally had our appointment last week and the doctor took one look at Sean and diagnosed him as farsighted! He assured us this is common, all the symptoms are consistent, and the solution is "just glasses!" This was a prayer answered. No more Keppra, no more tests, JUST GLASSES!


So as of Monday, we have an adorable little baby in glasses. The minute he puts his glasses on his eyes straighten out. Now he's ready to show all of you his new style:


Just like dad! Sean points to his glasses and says "Dad." It is so sweet.


A little contemplative in his new glasses.

A cow! this thing i've been playing with for the last six months is a cow! I can see it!


His glasses work so well he actually started reading this week. Out loud.

A very happy baby and a very relieved mom and dad! Thank you St. Lucy! Sean is doing great with his glasses. He keeps them on all day and seems to have re-discovered toys and books and his surroundings in general. I actually reintroduced myself as his mother this morning. To think, he never really saw our faces until now! We couldn't be happier.
PS, the glasses in the picture are standard-issue indestructable baby glasses used while he gets used to having them on his face. Our only choice in style was pink, blue or white. In a few months he can graduate to more fashionable glasses, but we think these are plenty cute for the time being.

10 comments:

Denise said...

oh my goodness, great pictures! I love seeing Sean's eyes look straight ahead and seeing him discover the world!

Deb Deveney said...

What a darling little boy.... he is handsome with his glasses.

Cole said...

Erin -
I was just checking in with your blog today and was surprised to hear about Sean's eyes. Know that you have good friends in your prayers to St. Lucy. Liam's albinism causes come complex eye issues (crossing among them) and we are frequent visitors to the ped. opthamologist. I am so glad to hear that you guys got things sorted out and that sean is doing well! He looks so super cute in his little glasses.
Hope you and cody are well !
-Nicole Rosemeyer

Denise said...

I just noticed the graham cracker in the EEG picture--how sad!

Erin said...

D, good eye! That was our bait for him that day, and he probably ate 30 of them in 30 minutes. Also, they put Finding Nemo on the TV in front of him, which was just new and so amazing for him to watch. So, he didn't cry the whole time, just when he was getting set up. I also like his fat legs in that picture.

Pop said...

He is the image of a little professor!!
Pop

B-Mama said...

I'm so glad you all found your way to the root of the problem--praise God! Many thanks to St. Lucy!! Sean looks edibly cute in his new specs. I'm so happy for you all at the outcome. Whew!!

Anonymous said...

I just came over from Building Cathedrals after posting about our daughter getting glasses at 15 months. I can't believe all you had to go through, but thank goodness the solution was "so simple" in the end. We had somewhat of the opposite experience in that we went to the ped. opth. right away for the wandering eye, but then the glasses didn't correct it so our daughter had to have outpatient surgery at 17 months to shorten one of the muscles in her wandering eye. Thanks be to God, it went smoothly and she's checked out just fine at every one of her appts. since then. For years, we were constantly being stopped to be told how cute she was in her glasses, though it's slowing down a bit now that she's three and a half. We had another daughter last year and took her in to the ped. opth. early just to be safe, but her eyes checked out just fine thankfully! Blessings to you and your family!

Jill said...

I finally have your blog bookmarked and have thoroughly enjoyed keeping up. What a cute little man! I am so excited the glasses are working; I know that must be a huge relief and I love the blue rims! Let us know when you are coming to A-town. Eddie always loves a playmate.

Anonymous said...

Hi guys,

Just getting to read all your news- Thanks for taking the time to share Sean and you with all of us. I loved the pictures... God always answers our prayers. Emmy showed me the Holy Card and I (along with Joseoh and Philip)were also saying our prayers to St Lucy. Sean- You are so sweet and very handsome in your new shades!!!!!! xoxox- Mimi