More on Oia

On Election day, we took Oia to her standard 6 month ophthalmology appointment in Northern Va. This was the "every other" appointment where her eyes did not need dilation. These kind are much quicker appointments. Her eyes seem to be holding out at status quo which is not a bad place to be. But, we are to be patching still in one form or another; via eye patch or Atropine drop. I suppose you could slap us with a bad parenting award because to be very honest, we haven't dropped her eyes in a looooong time. Too long. We have our valid reasons but we really need to jump on this again. So we will... Sorry sweet Oia, just following Dr. P's orders.

A few posts back, I mentioned Oia was seen by a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician. Our area of concern was Oia's lack of focus. It seems to be a common thread all across the board; school, therapies, and home. At the appointment, it was suggested we try putting Oia on a short acting attention med which would hopefully be just the intervention she needs to improve her focus during school hours. Our only hurdle in trying the med was to get Oia's neurologist to approve the script as the particular med we were advised is known to lower the seizure threshold in patients at high risk for them already. Oia is that patient. Long story short, script was cleared by neuro, and the tiny pills now sit inside our kitchen cabinet. Unopened. And out of sight. The idea to medicate her right now just doesn't feel right.

I know of many people who have children that seize on a regular basis. It's often something out of their control. Not really sure how these parents get through it. So to think that one morning, I could break open one of those said pills, sprinkle it on Oia's first bite of her beloved yogurt, feed it to her, because I chose to, then potentially soon after witness one of my worst nightmares unfold, well... it just seems like the absolute wrong direction to take. That's not to say the med would, but it could cause seizures, and I'm not one who enjoys playing with fire. So, Rob and I have come to the consensus that we should back up a bit and start with an overall different approach in the area of integrative/alternative medicines. Think vitamins, supplements, dietary changes, etc. Maybe as a child who is not neurotypical, her makeup is missing something essential hence her inability to concentrate. We don't know, but it's definitely something to think about. We are currently searching for such resources/doctors in our area who specialize in integrative meds to fully guide us and educate us about it. It may or may not work. But bottom line, it's harmless. Seems like a smarter and safer place to begin. Oia deserves that. Those other little pills can just wait.

In some lighter news, this girl is still a fabulous handful of will, spunk, onery, and sheer fun. No one frustrates me quite like she can and no one makes me laugh quite like she does either. Her love for Esme is fierce. Her expressive language is still developing beautifully. Potty training is nearly behind us. And her IEP report last week made us very, very proud. Allowing her one more year of preschool before venturing the big, bad Kindergarten was absolutely the right decision. Afterall, you just can't rush perfection.