P is for Patch

We went in for a check-up with the ophthalmologist last week (so many dr visits lately...it's hard out there for a kid) and they had good news - the glasses are working!! Woohoo!!

However, since his right eye is still stronger than his left eye, the leftie works juuuuuuuuuust hard enough to make things clear and rightie continues to do the majority of the work. In an effort to even out the strength of his two peepers, we need to force the left eye to work harder - so we're patching the right one! For just a few hours each day, Graham will wear a band-aid-like patch on his stronger eye so that the weaker one has to do all the work and hopefully catch up to it's overachieving partner.

Poor bloke, you say? No way, Bombay! Eye patches are totally nerdy hip. Plus, he only has to wear it for a small portion of the day for just a few months and it should make a huge difference. The doctor was already talking about a plan for easing him off of the glasses starting as early as next year, assuming everything goes according to plan. [I know, I was a tiny bit sad when she mentioned that, too - the specs seems like such a part of him now!]

First session was tough - he fiddled with it and complained a bit, but didn't tug hard or anything and he surely could have ripped it right off if he wanted to. Our sweet boy is so tolerant and resilient.

By the end of the very first sesh he was playing like normal and being his regular goofball self!

Now the patch is no big deal at all! Graham even likes to peel the backings off when we are preparing to put it on each morning and once I found him playing with one, trying to stick it on over his glasses. We've decided first thing when we wake up is the best bet, as everyone is in a pretty good mood and it's easy to remember. Fresh diaper, eye patch, glasses, ready!

Sometimes we send him to school with his patch on, which the doctor actually suggested because there's so much going on kids are usually distracted and won't even pay any attention to it - usually more tolerant than at home! And Graham is no exception. Once we slap that puppy on in the morning, he's up for whatever (though depth perception can sometimes be an issue)! The kids at school are all fascinated by it, which is adorable. A recent conversation with Issy, one of G's favorite (and most precocious) classmates, during drop-off went like this:
"Good morning Grambo's mom! Does Grambo have an eye patch today? Why does Grambo have an eye patch? How long does he wear the eye patch? Why do I not have an eye patch?"

Ahoy, mateys!!