here we go!

The appointment time has arrived. The surgeon has given the go-ahead, the bribes rewards have been decided, and the child is getting a good night's rest. We are leaving bright and early (7am) to head to Burlington for Tate's appointment to have his prosthetic eye made. It's an all-day appointment, but we won't have to stay in the office all day. There will be several stages to the appointment, and we'll be able to come and go between them. The part that I'd like to request prayer for, of course, is getting a good impression. This is where he has to be still for THREE WHOLE MINUTES. I bet most of you couldn't do that. Yeah, neither could I. So... prayers are appreciated (as always!) and I will keep facebook updated during the day. I have been given permission by the ocularist to bring my camera to the appointment and document the day for all of you. I hope that I'll at least be able to do a quick update tomorrow night, but I may not be able to do a full post on it until Sunday or so. For those of you who don't know, I'm back to working full-time nights now at the airline, so I keep really busy anyway, but we're planning to take the boys to the zoo on Saturday if the weather holds out, as an extra prize for Tate. 


I can't believe this day is finally here. It's been such a whirlwind. It's hard to believe it's been 6 weeks since his surgery already, but on the other hand, it seems like it's been forever. We're getting used to seeing him without an eye now. I remember when he first started going without his bandage that I flinched a couple of times when I looked at him. Not because I was grossed out or anything, but just because I would forget for a minute. That's a good thing.... to not think about it all the time. He's such a happy, normal kid. And that's all I want for him. He's still not excited about getting his new eye. I asked him tonight if he wanted to bring his new sock monkey that his Nana got him... he said "No, Mommy, I don't want him to get hurt." That breaks my heart. We've reassured him again and again that it won't hurt. I told him a couple of weeks ago when he was worried about it hurting that it would hurt even less than his surgery did. He said "But my surgery didn't hurt!" I told him that was great and that everything would be easy-peasy then. I know he's scared. I mean, really... he's 4 years old. It has to be nerve-wracking... just the anticipation alone. He doesn't know what to expect (frankly, neither do I) but I really think he'll do great. 


The timing seems good to get his prosthetic. He has a little cold, and apparently, that makes his eye socket pretty gunky. I was cleaning it today, and let me put it this way, I thought I'd never get all that stuff out through those little holes in his conformer. Sorry people, this is my new reality, so I'm sharing it with all of you. You're welcome. I'm hoping it will be easier to clean with an eye that comes out as opposed to a conformer that doesn't (or at least, it shouldn't). 


I can't wait to see what Tate looks like with two eyes that look the same. That's something he's never had. I hear a lot from people who have prosthetic eyes, or who have kids that do, that no one can tell. But I know his eye won't move the same as his real eye, and it may have a different look to it, but I know that however it turns out, it'll be so much better than what he had before! 


I want to thank all of you again for all the support and prayers we've received throughout Tate's journey. It means more to us than you'll ever realize. Hopefully we are towards the end of the dramatic portion of this journey, but of course, I'll keep you updated on him. Maybe I'll even blog about something else someday. Anyone want to see the letter I sent to Sprint's CEO? It prompted a call-back from the executive office....