Pirate Kinley

So this is one of those posts that I hate to have to do (not really), but feel it necessary to do anyways. I say that I hate to have to do it because it is based around a struggle that Mckinley is currently facing. That sounds very dramatic now that I read it back to myself, but it is true nonetheless. It is important to me to take note of all parts of Mckinley's life and this just happens to currently be one of them.

When Mckinley was about 6 months old I began noticing that her eyes wouldn't always focus on me--particularly when she was in her highchair (I think I noticed it at that point because I was staring face to face with her for an extended period of time). It really didn't happen that often, but it happened enough for me to take notice. I brought it up to her pediatrician at which point he did a little exam and then told me "she's fine", basically brushing my concerns aside (side note: we have a new pediatrician now). Fortunately, mother's intuition wouldn't let me brush it aside. I continued to notice the issue and decided to take her to a pediatric opthalmologist in spite of what our pediatrician thought. Apparently a good pediatric opthamologist is really hard to get into because we couldn't get an appointment until she was about 9 months old. I'm so glad that we went to see this doctor though because it turns out Mckinley has Amblypia (aka a little bit of lazy eye).

When she was 9 months old her case was very mild in severity and her doc thought it would probably resolve itself on its own; however, over the last month or two I have noticed it getting progressively worse in her right eye so back to the doc we went. Before going to see this doctor I always thought that this issue was mostly cosmetic (definitely needing attention, but nothing actually impacting vision), apparently though, if left untreated she could lose sight in that eye completely as her brain basically turns off use of it. SO....now we have pirate Kinley:

Still stinking cute!

At this last appointment her severity level had gone from below mild to moderate and thus requires a little bit of treatment in the form of an eye patch. Right now she only has to wear it for 1 hour a day, so it really isn't even that big of a deal, but it was still something hard to hear because it is the first real struggle she has faced. Thank goodness it actually isn't even something too serious and is currently easily treatable.

Again, this all sounds very overly-dramatic, but as her mama I hate the thought of her having to ever deal with a difficult situation. Lucky for us she isn't even two and therefore doesn't have to deal with comments from school-age kids or self-confidence. She just thinks it is a fun sticker to put on her belly after her hour is up! :)

So hopefully the hour a day does the trick. We won't actually know anything for quite some time though--her doc says expect her to do the hour a day for 3-6 months. We go back in the end of April to find out it the hour is enough time or if she needs more time per day. Until then she gets "pretty stickers" for her eye. She has done surprisingly well with them too. It very well could have turned out to be a nightmare getting her to wear these patches, but just like her amazing little self, she has taken it so well. Fingers crossed that this period will be short lived and that this is the biggest struggle of hers I ever have to write about! :)