EYE SURGERY

Okay, the last one on the list will have to go first, because I have to disclose this while it's happening, and ask for your prayers.

I took my sweet Jasper John to the eye doctor this morning, and was shocked to hear that he will in fact have to have eye surgery. God has given me peace about this since a few hours ago, when I started crying in the doctor's office, but I'm still rocked by the news.

For those of you that didn't know, at Jasper's 15 month appt., his pediatrician determined that he has a lazy eye (which I pretty much already thought, since his left eye often gets "stuck" when he's looking over his right shoulder). He referred me to a pediatric eye doctor and said typically they'll do drops to blur the stronger eye's vision, to strengthen the weaker eye, or a patch or glasses, or blah blah blah. The WORST case scenario was surgery, and seemed unlikely from his initial impression. Boy-howdy was he wrong. It's not actually a lazy eye at all, and he does need surgery.

The eye doctor told me almost immediately that there is no other way to correct this, other than surgery. It mostly freaks me out because it's his EYE, for crying out loud, but I have full confidence in this doctor, who comes highly recommended, and is also a living-it Christian, and there are several positives about the visit as well. Here's a break-down of the info (especially for family):

1. He was born with it - it's a congenital eye defect. Nothing could have prevented it, it's just the way it is.
2. The torticollis he had as a baby probably wasn't as bad as we thought at the time, because he was compensating for his weak eye by tilting his head.
3. Because he has tilted his head to look at things, it has preserved the vision in his weak eye, and his vision is unaffected (praise the Lord!). So there are NO complications there!! :)
4. This surgery is minimally invasive, takes 20-30 minutes to complete, and is an out-patient surgery, where we can take him home about an hour after it's done.
5. Side effects include blood-shot eyes for several days, discomfort/pain for a couple of days that can be easily treated with tylenol, and giving drops for several days to prevent infection.
6. The surgery involves pulling and tightening a muscle in the eye, and only the outer layer of the eye is involved, which is a GOOD thing.
7. He will be wearing a patch for an hour each day to get him ready for the surgery.
8. The majority of the time, one surgery is all it takes to fix everything. Occasionally a second surgery is required when they're older. Regardless, the condition is completely fixable.

If you're reading this, our family would greatly appreciate a prayer/prayers for our sweet Jasper. Specifically, for this upcoming surgery (which will probably take place at the end of August), and also that he will begin walking soon (he cruises and uses his walker all over the house, but isn't actually walking by himself - he turned 16 months yesterday). He's had a lot of random health issues since birth that have run his mama ragged over the months, and though I don't talk about it a lot, it stresses me out quite a bit at times, and I have a tendency to worry about him, rather than leaving him in God's hands, Who is far more capable of taking care of him and meeting his needs than I am.

It's so hard to have something "wrong" with your child, and sometimes it feels like there's more wrong than there is right with my baby, though I know it's not true. The truth is that he is a healthy, growing, developing boy, and there are so many families out there who are dealing with health issues far more serious than ours. But it's still hard and it still hurts.

That being said, I choose to praise God for His many blessings and provisions today, that He made very clear to me in the midst of my sadness about this diagnosis.
*Thank you, God that Jasper's vision is great, and that it is not affected.
*Thank you, God for leading us to a capable Christian eye surgeon who can bring spiritual comfort along with the physical healing.
*Thank you, God for the way you love us and hurt over us, just like I hurt over my sweet baby.
*Thank you, God for going ahead of this procedure and preparing the way, even now.
*Thank you, God that I have such a loving, compassionate husband, and mom, whom you used to comfort me after receiving the news.
*Thank you, God for the way you care for and provide for our family.
*Thank you, God, that you never change, no matter the news or circumstance.
*Thank you, God, for making me Jasper John's mommy.

Thank you for your prayers. I'll keep you all posted on everything.