So long, 2010!

Update on Adam:  Driving, going out in the light, and working full days! His eye still looks sore and itches at times, but he is definitely headed the right direction. His complaint (if he did complain) would be that he can’t wear contacts yet. But he has even worked out a couple of times in his glasses and survived.

 

One day I tried to count all the prescriptions he’s had in the past few months but I lost track. Somewhere between 15 and 20, I think. He’s down to only two- one eye drop and one for his damaged nerves- and he can’t wait to be rid of those!

My prayer is that we never forget what God has done to carry us through this and that we never take our health for granted again. Good health is definitely a gift from God and we need to use it and not waste it:)  So here’s to a HEALTHY 2011!!

It’s a good day!

I’ve purposely not posted in awhile because it’s been kind of a rough week. The itching has been so bad that it causes Adam to get no sleep. It’s so hard to watch him be so uncomfortable all day and than not even be able to go to sleep at night! He also still has been unable to drive due to light sensitivity.  But then today he saw the opthalmologist for the first time in a couple weeks, and got the good news that the inflamation in his eye is completely gone!! And after going into work this morning he called me with the best news HE WAS NOT ITCHY!

I believe it’s no coincidence that he started acupuncture treatments this to treat the neuralgia (nerve damage) that is causing the itching. He has 3 treatments under his belt and that has to be what is doing the trick!

It’s really hard to not get excited about any kind of progress we see. I hope there are more and more great days in our near future-and that we won’t be completely discouraged if there are still some hurdles to overcome.

Riding the rollercoaster

So, on Tuesday Adam put in a good day and was even able to work from about 9-3. Yesterday he paid for it and was back home from work by 10 a.m. and had to spend most of the day with his eyes shut. Today he seems a little better again. We think that one of the medications that keeps his eye dilated to reduce inflamation makes his “photophobia” that much worse. Called today and found out that we can switch to doing that one only at night.

A funny moment in all of this occured a couple of nights ago after he had taken all of his bedtime meds and then fell asleep on the couch. He wouldn’t wake up when I shook him, so I decided to leave him there when all of a sudden he lurched off the couch and started stumbling around all over the living room. LOL-I thought he was going to smash through a wall! Lesson learned- always make sure your 6’6” husband is in bed BEFORE giving him his tranquilizer:)

Good news…it’s just going to take awhile!

Overall, the news we received today was comforting. First from the neurologist at Mercy, we found out that Adam’s brain is not affected at all. He was not alarmed at all with the symptoms he is having and said that this is pretty standard recovery time for shingles of the eye. It’s just going to take longer than we thought it would to recover. Basically, the nerves on the surface of his eye and around it are damaged and “mad” right now and therefore producing the photophobia. He said that we’ll see a slow and steady improvement over the next 3 months. He was able to prescribe another medicine to help repair the nerves and one to help him sleep through the itching at night.

Then we headed to the U of I for a second opinion from another cornea specialist. After having a ton of bright lights shined in his eyes (poor guy) they agreed with everything that Wolfe Clinic is already doing, added one more drop to keep his eye dilated and increased the dosage on all of his current medicine. They too, said that recovery will be long and slow. There can be lingering and secondary problems associated this, but we’ll deal with that if it happens.

We can handle with slow recovery as long as we know now that it’s not something more serious. Yay~!  It is amazing how God has programmed our bodies to heal and even provides the “tech support” along the way!:)

Heading to IC

Usually when we talk of going to Iowa City, it’s for a better (and more fun) reason than getting a second opinion from a specialist. We are, however, happy that we are getting to the bottom of this problem as quickly as we can.

The doctors at Wolfe have referred Adam to a neurologist tomorrow morning at 8:00 to hopefully get to the bottom of why his eye isn’t getting better and then we go on to Iowa City for a 1:00 appt. with another ophthalmologist. Grandma Ellen headed home to sleep and get some clean clothes and will be back tomorrow to pick up the kids from school/daycare.

We’re not sure if it’s the postherpetic neuralgia (after-shingles pain) that we’ve read so much about, but Adam is having more pain again in addition to the extreme light sensitivity. I’m praying that the pain is just the virus making its way out of our lives for good!

Still fighting

It’s hard to believe that on Monday we will have been home from the hospital for 2 weeks. When we first got home, Adam had relief from the pain and light sensitivity and was able to go into work for short periods of time by using an eye patch and keeping the lights off in his office.

This week seemed to be a step back as the virus migrated completely into his eye; specifically his cornea. Due to the increased lesions on his cornea, his light sensitivity is extreme. The doctors have told us that it’s not uncommon for light sensitivity to affect both eyes, and that is what has happened for Adam. He’s most comfortable during the daylight hours hiding his head under a blanket:(

We are putting steriod drops in his eye 6 times/day, and hoping that will be the trick to curbing the light sensitivity. We are so grateful that we have the specialists at Wolfe Eye Clinic in our backyard.

We are praying for complete healing and know that God has that in his power! Thank you for your support through prayer:)

The kids are in Osage this weekend so Adam can have the house quiet and dark; I’m so happy that going to Nana and Papa’s is like one big party for them!

Halloween!!

Nana had fun shopping for costumes this year and came up with a purple witch for Jaeley and a wizard for Brev. Their jokes for the year were; Jaeley: “What does a witch eat?” –booberry pie.  Brevin: “Who does a wizard marry?” –his goul-friend.

Nana found the silver fabric and had the cape made by a friend. It was sooo cool!

Telling their jokes to neighbor Carrie.

Just like last year they only wanted to go around the block, and then were ready to sit on our porch and hand out candy to the HUNDREDS of trick-or-treaters we get! As witnessed by the look on Brev’s face, we were getting a little tired by this point…

Earlier in the week, Daddy felt good enough to help us carve the pumpkin. 

Dressing up at Peterson’s house. We went for dinner to celebrate Kendra’s 16th bday. Classic Jaeley expression for the picture.