Ten years ago on a cold, wintery day in December I held my seven day old baby while the doctor poked and prodded his eyes over and over again. I remember my husband and I sitting there thinking that this was just a routine visit. Something was noticed upon Aidan's eye examination before discharge but I just knew that our minds would be put at ease after this examination. I had no clue! Ten years ago this month our perfect little life was turned upside down in the blink of an eye. I sat in that office and listened as this doctor quickly diagnosed my sweet boy with Congenital Glaucoma. I just scooped my baby up and held him in my arms, rocking him back and forth. I remember every.single.detail...my heart had been shattered. I broke down in tears, so scared as the doctor then told Eric and I every grim detail of this disease and what to prepare for if the eye drops did not work to bring Aidan's eye pressures down. I remember every single detail of that morning. I remember crying hysterically while we checked out at the front desk. I remember calling our family after we sat in the car for a few minutes, processing what had just happened. I remember all of them dropping whatever it was that they were doing to get to us. I remember my sister, walking through the door of our home, tears streaming down her face while she grabbed me and hugged me as hard as she could. I remember it all. Things moved pretty quickly after that day and some things are just too hard to put into words.
Fast forward to today, Aidan is my hero! He has been put through the ringer and has went under anastesia more times than I care to remember. He always comes through each surgery, each eye examination with a smile on his face. It has been a decade ago this month that our world was turned upside down and all of the surgeries began...so many unknowns...so many ups and downs...so many times my faith had been shaken. I was scared to death on the day of his diagnosis. I had never been so scared in my life. I educated myself on this disease very quickly. We have encountered doctors with less compassion that I would have hoped for but today we know Aidan is in the best of hands and we look forward to a bright future together! Aidan is happy, he is thriving, he is your typical ten year old...full of life, full of laughter, full of smiles:)
Aidan is my hero!
