We're home from Boston with good news!

Well, we made it home last night as the first snow storm of the season was hitting the north country.  We drove in rain all through New Hampshire and Vermont, finally hitting the first of the snow in the Champlain Islands.  By Ellenburg, the road was covered and it was slow going.  We were exhausted by the time we pulled in and so delayed the update until this morning.

Boston was hectic and busy but Alex and I loved the bustle of the city.  Alex got to take his first subway ride on our way to visit cousins Lee, Peter, and Dan in Cambridge for dinner.  We had a wonderful visit there.

Of course, you are all tuning in to hear about the nitty-gritty of the trip I am sure.  We met with the surgeon midday on Tuesday at Children's Hospital.  This was Alex's toughest appointment yet - bad timing during the day.  He was tired and cranky but managed to hold it together with some help from Mom while the doctor was kind enough to do the eye exam while he nursed :)

The surgeon's plan is that two surgeries are inevitable (both cataracts will have to be removed and they will not do both at the same time).  The good news is that Alex's cataracts do not need to be removed right now.  At this time, his visual acuity is testing within the low average range for his age.  The plan for now is to keep monitoring his vision very closely (likely with monthly trips to his pediatric ophthamologist in Vermont).  If/when the cataracts progress (get worse) or if his vision fails to continue to improve (as a typical toddler's does), then it will be time for surgery.  There is no way to predict when or how quickly the cataracts will progress; we only know that they will progress at some point.

Our other happy piece of news is that the surgeon feels as though Alex is a good candidate for intra-ocular lens (IOL) placement.  This means that Alex would receive an artificial lens in his eye when they remove the cloudy natural lens.  This is wonderful news for us as it means no contact lenses (which are used when young children do not have an IOL implanted).

When the time comes, we will return to the Boston area (likely Waltham MA)for surgery.  After each surgery, Alex will have a few weeks of recovery and then be measured for glasses.  Once he is past the age of 2, those glasses will likely be bifocals.  Alex is quite certain this means he will be able to pick up the smart chicks down the road :)

So.... for now, we watch and wait, we continue to patch the right eye daily, and we hope he gets a bit older before it is time for surgery.

As always, we are so grateful for everyone's love and support and prayers.  Visiting a place like Children's Hospital is a reminder both that we are blessed with a healthy child - and also that the world is blessed with many well trained and caring people watching out for all kids who pass through their doors.