Alec had to get eye exams just about every 3 months , ever since he was a baby. His opthalmologist was Dr. Dagi at Children's Hospital, she was always his Dr. We saw her when we were admitted in Children's, I remember waiting forever in the waiting area, Keith and I taking turns snuggling Alec, wondering why in the world were we sitting here having to do this.
The Doctors needed to check his optic nerve, because the tumor was on his optic nerve, and to try to check his vision. We first met Sarah, not sure her title, but she tested Alec with the stripes on cards to see if he looked at them. Then we met Dr. Dagi, she let us know with the look in her eyes and her words that she was so heartbroken for us. Then she had us hold Alec so she could look , it was so painful for us to make Alec go through this, he was wailing. I'm not sure if it was at this visit or the next few, but she told us there was no color to his optic nerve, we were not sure what that meant, but knew it was not good. However as long as we had Alec, his eyesight or lack of did not matter. We of course were sad for him. There was a time when we were playing with Alec at home, and we noticed that he did not respond to anything we put in front of him, he did not look. We knew then, that he didn't see, he was blind. Which is probably what no color on the optic nerve meant. As time went by , we started to notice that Alec was looking at things, and seeing them. On his next visit with Dr. Dagi, she said some color had returned to his optic nerve, which I believe she said just doesn't happen. She was very happy to share this news with us. We could tell that she knew she was witnessing a miracle.
Alec was legally blind, but he could see. The amount of vision he had was so minimal, but one would never know that, even we forgot how little vision he had because he made it look like he could see with perfect eyesight. He got around pretty well and he would see things that would shock us--we always thought his vision was getting better.
Alec never liked going to have his eyes checked, he hated the drops or spray they put in, it would always be the first thing he asked when we got to an appointment, "Do I have to have drops". When they said no, he didn't need them, he was so happy and relieved. When they said yes, it was tough, he didn't like it, but he did it so bravely.
He did love to see Sarah, and would ask for her every time, and get so excited to have her check his visual acuity, he loved to talk to her and ask her questions. She was always so kind and gentle and Al always made her smile and laugh.
But the main reason that Alec was willing to go the eye Dr. was to hear Dr. Dagi call him, "Sweet Potata" , she has always called him that, from infant all the way through. Alec love,loved, loved it; he just sat there waiting for her to call him Sweet Potata. She'd say " Hi Sweet Potata", and Alec would get the biggest smile on his face, that's all he needed. She did not even realize this, I think I had to tell her every time how much he loved it. She said she was from the south and that was a term of endearment they use.
We always had our routine, get to the eye appt. a few minutes early, so Al could play with the toys, see Sarah (hopefully), get drops (unfortunately), eat lunch while we wait for Dr. Dagi, get eyes checked, get called Sweet Potata, stop at dollar tree for a surprise, then pick up Taa (Cassidy) from school.
I just heard a lady (on the Nate Berkus show) call Nate a "Sweet Potata". I had never heard anyone else call someone that except Dr. Dagi to Al.
(neither did Nate, he asked her what it meant and she said it's like Cutie Pie)
The Doctors needed to check his optic nerve, because the tumor was on his optic nerve, and to try to check his vision. We first met Sarah, not sure her title, but she tested Alec with the stripes on cards to see if he looked at them. Then we met Dr. Dagi, she let us know with the look in her eyes and her words that she was so heartbroken for us. Then she had us hold Alec so she could look , it was so painful for us to make Alec go through this, he was wailing. I'm not sure if it was at this visit or the next few, but she told us there was no color to his optic nerve, we were not sure what that meant, but knew it was not good. However as long as we had Alec, his eyesight or lack of did not matter. We of course were sad for him. There was a time when we were playing with Alec at home, and we noticed that he did not respond to anything we put in front of him, he did not look. We knew then, that he didn't see, he was blind. Which is probably what no color on the optic nerve meant. As time went by , we started to notice that Alec was looking at things, and seeing them. On his next visit with Dr. Dagi, she said some color had returned to his optic nerve, which I believe she said just doesn't happen. She was very happy to share this news with us. We could tell that she knew she was witnessing a miracle.
Alec was legally blind, but he could see. The amount of vision he had was so minimal, but one would never know that, even we forgot how little vision he had because he made it look like he could see with perfect eyesight. He got around pretty well and he would see things that would shock us--we always thought his vision was getting better.
Alec never liked going to have his eyes checked, he hated the drops or spray they put in, it would always be the first thing he asked when we got to an appointment, "Do I have to have drops". When they said no, he didn't need them, he was so happy and relieved. When they said yes, it was tough, he didn't like it, but he did it so bravely.
He did love to see Sarah, and would ask for her every time, and get so excited to have her check his visual acuity, he loved to talk to her and ask her questions. She was always so kind and gentle and Al always made her smile and laugh.
But the main reason that Alec was willing to go the eye Dr. was to hear Dr. Dagi call him, "Sweet Potata" , she has always called him that, from infant all the way through. Alec love,loved, loved it; he just sat there waiting for her to call him Sweet Potata. She'd say " Hi Sweet Potata", and Alec would get the biggest smile on his face, that's all he needed. She did not even realize this, I think I had to tell her every time how much he loved it. She said she was from the south and that was a term of endearment they use.
We always had our routine, get to the eye appt. a few minutes early, so Al could play with the toys, see Sarah (hopefully), get drops (unfortunately), eat lunch while we wait for Dr. Dagi, get eyes checked, get called Sweet Potata, stop at dollar tree for a surprise, then pick up Taa (Cassidy) from school.
I just heard a lady (on the Nate Berkus show) call Nate a "Sweet Potata". I had never heard anyone else call someone that except Dr. Dagi to Al.
(neither did Nate, he asked her what it meant and she said it's like Cutie Pie)
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