Friday: 5/30

Thank you for your prayers! Justin's eye pressure was an 8--that is great for his eye. Dr. J said that everything looked good structurally. No detached retina...everything is holding up. :) Unfortunately because Justin's situation is so advanced the doctor doesn't know why Justin's vision is getting darker. He doesn't know what Justin is supposed to be seeing considering he thought there was a huge chance Justin wouldn't see anything once the patch was removed. All Dr. J could say was that everything looked good. That being said....Justin doesn't have to go back for 4 weeks. Four. For. Fo. And that is definitely a good thing! Again, thank you for your prayers.

Another Friday Appointment

Hi! I just wanted to let everyone know that Justin has an appointment today in Dallas. After you read here about his surgery, Justin's vision started to get darker and darker each day. As you know he didn't have an appointment last week so today we get to find out how his eye is doing structurally and hopefully the reason his vision is getting worse.

I have to stay in Nacogdoches today, so I might get to update you before I get off of work. Otherwise, we have guests tonight so it may be Saturday before either one of us updates you. Please pray with me for Justin today.

Friday: 5/9

Justin was going to update everyone on last Friday's appointment over on his blog, but he now says that I "need all the posts I can get". We all know this isn't true. None-the-less I will give you guys an update...

As I said on my last "Friday Appointment" post we were going into this appointment with two possibilities in mind 1) there would be nothing else the doctors could do for Justin, or 2) they would be able to do surgery on him and fix his ciliary body. Of course, Justin was really hoping that they would be able to do another surgery.

After the doctor examined him, he told us that Justin's retina had partially detached. Think of it as an envelope. You know when the middle starts to bubble up, but the sides are still stuck down? That is how Justin's retina is right now--or at least when the doctor checked it. We don't know how long it was detached for because this past Friday was the first time the doctor has been able to see all the way to the back of his eye since the air bubble is almost gone.

As for the whole ciliary body surgery: there is NO way in heck that the doctors will touch it. Justin's doctor does want to go back in his eye, clear the scar tissue that is on top and behind the retina, re-attach the retina, inject silicone oil, and give him more steroids. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is. They are going to destroy the retina in order to repair it.

Justin had the choice of whether he wanted another surgery or not. He said yes. In fact, it is scheduled for this Thursday. If Justin doesn't get the surgery his retina will fully detach and without a retina you go blind.

The doctor said that because Justin is a rare case they have been very nervous every time they have gone into his eye. They described all of his surgeries as a "heroic cause" because it seems that there is a lot going against him. When the doctors look at the big picture they see that Justin wasn't suppose to have vision after the age of 10. He's 23! So I guess they kind of feel like they're skating on ice. Well, his doctor said that this upcoming surgery is very heroic because there is a large possibility that it won't work. That means that there is a large possibility that Justin will never see again.

Well we weren't sure what kind of vision the doctors were actually trying to save. Light perception only? Color and shapes? The good news is that if this surgery works they believe that Justin could go back to seeing things the way he was in December....which was GREAT! Also, the silicone oil bends light differently than the water that is normally in your eye, so if Justin does get to see again, the oil will actually magnify things so that he can see them even better.

There is a lot of uncertainty on our part as well as the medical staff's. We know that this is a huge opportunity for God to take something that so many see as impossible and turn it into something that is possible. We also know that this is an opportunity for God to use this as a tool to refine us so that we are more like His image...even though it may hurt.

Please pray for Justin, his mom, the doctors, and myself this Thursday. His surgery is at 10:30. I'll most likely let you know how everything goes via Justin's twitter.

Friday: 5/2

Hey, I'm actually typing a post about Friday on Friday! I was unable to go with Justin to his appointment today. This always frustrates me because I want so badly to be where he is! I want to be by his side if he receives bad news or if he has some big decisions to make right there on the spot. I would gladly pick everything up and drive him anywhere if he needed to go, so it bothers me when I can't because we need me to be here at work sometimes. That's how I feel today.


Here is how today's appointment went...


They always call Justin into the office twice--once to dilate his eyes, check his eye pressure, ask how much light he can see, or if he can see anything from a distance AND the second time to see the doctor. He went in the first time and they could get a pressure reading on him. This is bad because it means the pressure is so low the device can't detect it. Oh, and the device they use isn't that little puff of air they shoot in your eye when you go to get an eye exam...they use this thing that resembles a digital thermometer and they actually press up against his eye! Not only was his eye pressure undetectable, but he was unable to see the guy waving his hand in front of him. Last week he could see the guy waving his hand. We knew something was going on though because Justin had been experiencing some weird light flashes and the light he could see had all-of-a-sudden gotten dimmer. He seriously thought his retina had detached since the doctor was so surprised last week that it hadn't.

When he saw the doctor, he was told that his retina was still intact!! That is great news. The doctor was sure that the retina had detached before he looked in his eye. The retina not detaching is definitely God's doing! We are encouraged by this.

Now the low eye pressure was very concerning. They sent Justin to the lab for an ultrasound of his eye. The technician was able to feel how soft his eye was which is scary. You see, when your eye pressure gets lower your eye gets softer. This is how we know that Justin's eye pressure is SO much lower without actually being able to get the reading. The ultrasound just proved that the retina was not detached.

The doctor said the reason for the low eye pressure could be because there is also scar tissue on Justin's ciliary body which is the part in his eye that makes aqueous humor. The scar tissue could be causing the ciliary body to not make the aqueous humor which means the eye pressure will remain low. If the aqueous humor gets so low, and the eye pressure gets so low, Justin will go blind. The doctor said that he does not know how to do surgery on the ciliary body....afterall, retinas are his specialty. The retina doctor will talk with his colleagues and Justin's glaucoma doctor to see if they know of anything that can be done. We will find out next Friday when we go back.

I saw on the internet that there are such things as surgeries on the ciliary body so that is a little encouraging to know that surgeons can get back there. Of course we still don't know if anything can be done. This is an entirely new chapter in the problems of Justin's eye.

For now we have to wait which is hard. Harder for Justin than for me, of course. Every little change in his vision frightens us. We think: "Surely the retina is detached now!" Then we have to deal with the possibilities of that and all those questions of uncertainty that come flooding in. And then the next day his vision has changed in a way that leads us to believe that no the retina has not detached. Every week is sort of a roller coaster. We have our good days where it is easy for us to trust in God and see beyond what so many other people are seeing as hopeless. (it is hard for me to believe, but there are so many people who see blind people as worthless) Then there are bad days where we have doubts and the negativity seems to consume us. Thank goodness that there are so many more good days than bad! Justin has the best attitude ever and I have a large amount of respect for him because of that.

Oh! Another good thing the doctor told Justin was that the head positionings are not as important anymore. That means he can sleep on his right side too if he wants. :) He is still supposed to take it easy though, which isn't too hard for him considering he gets so tired so quickly now because he was in bed for so long.

Okay...I think that is it. I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us.

Friday: 4/25

The three of us (Justin, his mom, and myself) left early Friday morning for another appointment in Dallas. I'm starting to enjoy this little trip because it gives a chance for the three of us to talk about things that matter to us. I also hate the trip because it is usually an emotional and stressful day for us.


It seems like every Friday we find out another piece to the puzzle that is Justin's eye condition. We don't know the whole picture. We don't know what kind of vision the doctor is actually trying to save at this point. And up until yesterday we didn't know of some more dangers the doctor has been worrying about.


After the doctor looked at Justin's eye he literally breathed a sigh of relief. That was weird for us because we didn't know that there could be anything threatening until after the gas bubble absorbs. Evidently there has been a chance that the scar tissue could grow back "aggressively" and pull his retina loose even with the air bubble there. Well, that was news for us.


The GOOD NEWS is that everything is structurally sound in Justin's eye. The retina is attached where it is supposed to be. The bubble is slowly shrinking, and the steroids are sitting properly. All of this surprised the doctor. He really thought that he would look into Justin's eye and see a retina floating around. And then we would have to schedule another surgery.


It is scary for me to think that we didn't even know that was a possibility. We knew the scar tissue would grow back, but no way did we know that it could this soon. His doctor is the best around. He has been caring for Justin's eye since Justin was a young child. I think he is trying to protect us by not telling us his thoughts all at once. His facial expressions don't line up with what he is saying a lot, so I know he is being more optimistic with us than he thinks he should be. It would be nice if he would just put everything all on the table for us, but I don't think he wants to upset the three of us. And because Justin's eye is a rarity, I don't think he actually knows what is really going to happen.

So everything in his eye is looking good. No scar tissue is growing back as far as we can tell. Justin's eye pressure was down again, but not zero so that is good. He has to wear a bracelet that warns others that he has a gas bubble and can't go sky diving or whatever. That broke and he wasn't given another one so he is happy about that.

THE BEST news for Justin was that he could go to church and school!! (as long as he is on his side every other time) This week is "Dead Week" so Justin can go just in time for the final exam reviews. He is very very happy to be allowed to do little activities. We scheduled a not-so-early appointment for next Friday. I'll keep ya posted!!

Friday: 4/18

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I wasn't able to go with Justin to his appointment this past Friday, so this post probably won't be as detailed as the last ones...

Everything seems to be holding up in his eye. There is still no infection. The gas bubble is shrinking, and the steroids are slooooowly dissolving.

Great news! Justin's eye pressure was up by 2 points which is awesome. The steroids are making it to the back of his eye and might actually be doing their job. :)

After much pleading on Justin's part (just kidding...maybe), the doctor said that it would be ok for him to go back to minimal activity soon. That means he won't be able to run around all day long, but he can get out and do things as long as he stays on his side at home. Some of you might get to see Justin!

We still won't have any idea of how Justin's vision will be any time soon. I'll let you know of any updates on Friday.

Last Friday

I promise I'm not neglecting my blog!

It's just days like yesterday that leave very little room to post...go to school, go to work, stay at work until close to 6pm while the doctors are in a meeting so I could be there just in case something happens...at this point I was SO SO SO grateful for the tasty lasagna Sam and Christina McFarland (small group friends) brought over not only because I found out that Justin does eat lasagna, but also because he would have starved without it. I, afterall, had a Voodoo and Ghost lecture to attend and one should not be late to a Voodoo lecture! (more on that at a later date) So I went home, dished out the lasagna, took the dogs out, begged with my husband to lay down and not help me, and off to the Voodoo I went!

But now...now I am sitting in my dark, quiet workplace listening to the melodius Pavarotti (that's what one of the doctor's picked out). So I suppose now is a better time than ever to update those of you who have not heard from us on Justin's eye appointment last Friday.

Justin does not have an infection! Infection was one of the many risks involved with his operation that could have lead to blindness. The doctor was happy to report that he was infection free. :)

So far everything that was put in place during the surgery is holding up well. Gas bubble--check! Steroids--check, check! Due to the gas bubble, the doctor can't see to the back of Justin's eye enough to tell us if things are actually helping. We must wait until the gas bubble fully absorbs into Justin's eye before we see how much the surgery actually helped or what harm the surgery caused.

Justin's doctor is still trying to be optimistic, but he informed us that there is a possibility that when the gas bubble does absorb the eye won't be able to support itself. What does that mean? It is possible that Justin would need two more surgeries to fix things.

For right now though, we are just waiting to see what happens. It could be weeks before we know what his vision will be like. Justin is hoping that the doctor will let him go easier on the positioning once he sees him this coming Friday.

We'll let you know what happens on Friday. Thank you for your prayers. We really do appreciate it.

And now I must say...

THAT I AM SO EXCITED THAT TODAY IS MY EARLY DAY! I can spend more time with Justin and get rid of the big black cloud hanging over my head that is my school work.

Justin Update

Good news! Justin and his mom made it safely to Dallas. There is no scar tissue, and the doctor doesn't expect anything to be wrong with Justin's retina. There is inflammation in his eye though, which the doctor thinks is the cause of his vision loss. (when your eye is inflamed the usually clear liquid is cloudy which can give you blurred vision)

Justin is going to be on oral steroids to hopefully solve the problem, but if that doesn't work his retina doctor will have to give him an eye injection.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens and there are two checkup appointments set up for next week.

Please continue to pray for Justin and his mom to have a safe return home, and for Justin's vision. Thank you!

Justin

Please keep Justin in your prayers today. He is going to the metroplex for his regular eye exam. Recently he has had a loss of field vision though. That means there is this black spot in his sight that he can't see through. Based on his experience, Justin thinks it could be one of two things: 1) scar tissue growing back (bad, because he got his lens removed to prevent this), 2) his retina detached (worse because it may not be able to be repaired again). Hopefully his doctor will be able to give him a reason for his loss of vision.

Please pray for he and his mom's safety as they travel to and from the appointment. Also please pray for Justin's vision and for the doctors' ability to discern and treat the problem.

Thanks you guys...I'll keep you updated as I hear from him. (I'm at work b/c my coworker had an emergency....pray for that too)

No Dogs Allowed

I had so much fun yesterday! Sean (Justin's mom), Katie (Justin's little sister), Justin, and I went to the Metroplex for Justin's after-surgery check-up eye appointment. Everything was fine, Justin has been healing pretty well, but things are still kind of glareish for him. All-in-all his doctor seemed VERY proud of himself for the outcome of the surgery. :) Before the appointment, however, all of us went to the Parks mall so that Sean and I could get a haircut at Toni&Guy's. Oh my goodness! I have never been to a haircut place like that before. Tam (my haircut guy) took my coat, asked me if I wanted a drink, gave me a massage, styled my hair, AND gave me tips! I have never been pampered like that before. Then, Justin and I went to the Sunglass Hut and picked out some sunshades (Justin's treat, awwww) for half price. Yep, my first and only pair of Ray Bands!

Now to the title of my post...on the way back from Dallas we stopped at a gas station in Jacksonville. All of us wanted a snack and had to use the restroom. Justin and I were the last to walk in and as soon as we did the man (most likely the owner, but said that he wasn't) told us that Larry could not go in. Justin said Larry was a guide dog and that it was ok. Nope, the man told us that someone had to wait outside with Larry because no dogs were allowed in the store. I then emphasized the fact that he was a guide dog that helped Justin get around because he is blind, and that it was illegal to not allow him to come in the store. The man, STILL said that Justin and Larry could not go in. Sean then got involved and informed him that he was breaking ADA (American's Disability Act)...the man didn't budge. To say the least, Justin got the name of the store, we didn't buy anything, and all of us had to use the restroom somewhere else.