Her Eyes are A-OK!

Ava Grace decided to baptize us (her parents) by fire when it came to medical bills and worry!  :-)  As I have shared (I think), we found out the day after she was born that the "bruise" on her face wasn't a bruise after all, but a birthmark called a port wine stain.  This type of birth mark has no know cause or prevention.  It's not a pigmentation thing, but actually dilated capillaries.  This means, it won't fade over time or go away on its own.  We don't even see her birthmark anymore, it's just part of her sweet face.  However, when we found out what it was on day two of her little life, we also found out some disturbing information.  Port wine stains on the face are associated with a couple very serious syndromes with symptoms ranging from abnormal growth to seizures, paralysis, and learning disabilities!  Scary stuff.  In addition, when around the eye, it can cause pressure and damage to the optic nerve... glaucoma!  Needless to say, we were concerned and immediately faced with a future of doctors appointments, specialists, and procedures.  We have been so lucky and blessed.  We absolutely LOVE our pediatrician and he has made all of our appointments for us!  Not only did he make them for us, he sought out and sent us to the best!  So, We have been to Vanderbilt twice so far - two different buildings, two different specialists!  The first was at Pediatric Dermatology and he cleared us of worry of syndromes.  There is less than a 1% chance that she has anything and he said not to worry one bit!  The second was most recently, and it was at Vanderbilt with a pediatric opthamologist! 

Again... good news!  Her eyes are perfect!  I wondered how they would do an eye exam on such a tiny person!  Boy, do they know what they are doing!!  I held her in the exam chair (pictures are on my phone and I am too tired to get the off to upload them right now) while they did the exam.  They held different lenses to her eyes, tested the pressure, and then dilated them and looked at her optic nerve!  Both eyes were great... a little far sighted, but apparently almost all babies are when they are this little. 

We will have to go back to the dermatologist at one year, just to check to see if anything has changed.  We will go back to her opthamologist every 3 months to continue to monitor her eyes.  All this just to be sure and to monitor before, during, and after her procedures.

Her next appointment is in early June!  It's the big mama-jama!  We'll be seeing Dr. Chester - her plastic surgeon!!  From there we will schedule, what our dermatologist has predicted to be 7 to 10 laser surgeries to be done on her face.  Each surgery will take off a layer of the port wine stain and we'll treat until her skin tone matches her other cheek!  :-)  I'm nervous, of course, but thankful for good doctors!  I am also thankful that our little angel won't have to struggle with the social difficulties that could come with her birthmark when she's older.

With each passing doctor appointment we breathe a sigh of relief.  We are also thankful for Grandmommy who goes to our visits with us!  An extra set of ears and a note taker is a must at these very important visits!  (This picture was taken after the eye appointment and her little eyes were still adjusting, lol).  Please say prayers for our sweet Ava Grace and her continued jorney, and also for us as we face potential medical bills - hoping insurance comes through in a big way!  :-)