October 27th Snow Storm

October 27th Snow Storm

We had a huge snow storm on the 27th of Oct. so the kids didn’t have to go to school that day.
I asked Preston to wear his eye patch as he helped me shovel the snow for a little while until he gets bored and that usually doesn’t take that long, with that said within 10 minutes he asked me if he could take the sled up the street and slide down the little hill it is just up from our house and I could still keep an eye on him while shoveling the drive way and sidewalk.
Preston’s little friend Evan wanted to go sledding with him they went for a little while and the temperature started dropping more and I noticed their red little cheeks so I had them come in take off their wet clothes and drink some hot coco made with milk and marshmallows! They loved that of course! Now they were nice and toasty!
Preston has transitional lenses they will darken up outside in the sun, in the house they go back to normal. I noticed when he was coming in the house the one lens looked a little weird I thought that maybe it looked like that because it was cold, and could have gotten wet from the snow, but as I looked at again I noticed he was missing a lens. I said Preston your missing a lens! He started to laugh for moment and said oh mom how long will it take to get a new lens? He has another pair of glasses just in case of reasons like this, but he said they didn’t feel right! I told him fine he didn’t have to wear the other pair but he would have to go to school like that with a missing lens until we are able to get him a new one. It was a good thing that the lens that was missing was of his stronger eye!
Preston was worried that he would get made fun of at school I told him that kids might not even notice inside the class so don’t mention it and see what happens if they do just tell them what happened, but we know how kids can be! I told him it wouldn’t be that long before getting the new lens.
Preston’s friend Evan, his father and his sister came over and they all went outside and built an igloo in our front yard it was a great one! Took his mind off of losing his lens.
The next day at school only a couple of kids noticed his lens and didn’t tease him, I was able to get him a new one the next day!

Vision Walk 2009 at City Park

Vision Walk 2009 at City Park

It was a great day for the vision walk around City Park! It was cool day prefect for our 3 mile walk around City Park. I put together a team and we called it Patch Land Adventures, of course.
Preston and I were captains of our walk team. We were able to raise some money for our 1st Vision walk. We had friends and neighbors that joined us for the walk.
We meet up with our team mates and registered, said hi to others and started our walk. We did our 3 mile walk around the park and it was so nice to see the water it was very peaceful, and to see all the teams and guide dogs as well.
When I got back from the walk I had to help Garcia’s set up tables, they were such a great support to us as they were for my event the “Blind Taste of the Rockies”.
Preston and his friend Chase were enjoying the clown, games, cotton candy and popcorn and there was a live band on the stage.
Preston was very proud of how much money we were able to raise for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. I think it’s great to have Preston involved the way I do with this non-profit and seeing me volunteer giving back to the community.
I understand this non-profit doesn’t directly deal with Preston’s eye disease but I just had to be a part of it! I feel that it is all about low vision and some day everyone will be able to see the way most of us do we have to do our part to make a change hopefully in the near future.

Tour at Hammonds Candy Factory

Tour at Hammonds Candy Factory

Preston had a friend stay the night and we decided that we would go in the morning to the Hammonds candy factory and go on a tour. We went to another one of his friend’s house and picked him his brother and mother up and went to the Factory. It was a nice day we took a couple of pictures and went inside to get our name in for the tour.
We had to watch a short film about the factory when it started ECT. This is the second time that Preston and I have been to the factory. It was in a new location and the tour was a lot shorter. It was really neat seeing how hard it is to make the ribbon candy what a process it has to go through, and it takes 5 years to become a master candy maker, amazing! After the tour we got to pick out a free candy cane. Of course you can’t walk out without buying candy. We picked up our little baskets and started to fill our baskets. Ouch it adds up fast! We paid and got out of there. What a great time it was the boys really enjoyed it.
We decide to go get lunch than the boys could play for awhile before going home. It was a great day but I told Preston that he had to wear his patch for the rest of the day. We make compromises sometimes.

Day Trip to Millers Farm

Day Trip to Millers Farm

Preston and I went to Millers farm it was about an hour drive north, during his off track time. We always try to plan some fun outings with other class mate friends and their moms. We all arrived there about the same time, we made sure to have our sunscreen on and water bottles and snacks. We were planning to have lunch there as well. We went and paid than the boys wanted to get in the go-carts and race before going on our little adventure. We jumped into a back of a trailer to drive a bunch of us around to different parts of the farm. It was really a neat experience to go around and pick our own produce. It is hard work! Preston and the boys had a new appreciation to produce. It was really a hot day and we drank lots of water and had some snacks while going out in the different fields.
One of the moms that we were there with had a friend of hers that came along and her three children. I noticed that one of her sons had glasses on and I inquired about his vision. She had told me that he also has Amblyopia and a little bit of their journey with it. I told her about Preston and my books. What a small world! I like to hear other peoples journey with Amblyopia and the different steps that they are taking to get there Childs vision as strong as possible.
I was sitting next to this lady and her husband and their two children wonderful family. She had over heard my conversation about the kids and Amblyopia. Her son also has low vision issues so we were able to talk about it. She really has gone through so much with her son. I hope to be able to share their story with you in the near future. We exchanged contact information and looking forward to connecting with her and family. I really feel that sometimes people are brought together for a reason.

Shopping at Costco

Shopping at Costco’s

A Couple of weeks ago Preston Yorkk and I went to Costcos to look at lap tops since my desk top had crashed. I had asked Preston to please put on his eye patch before we left the house. He doesn’t like to wear it out in public because sometimes kids make fun of him or will say hurtful things to him. I know it’s because kids and some adults are not use to seeing people walking around with an eye patch on, even though I am starting to see it now more often when I am out and about. I have found myself trying to educate some of those people, of the reason why he wears the patch.
Preston will usually ask me if he can take his eye patch off and after we are done shopping than he will put it back on in the vehicle. I do at times say yes to him.
He didn’t ask this time before going in to Costco’s I was really proud of him and I just acted like I didn’t notice that he had it on.
We were looking at the laptops when I noticed a young boy in a shopping cart that we had met at a friend of mines sons’ birthday party. He is adopted from I believe Cambodia and he has had several surgeries on his lip, he had a severe cliff lip that was surgically fixed to the best they could do, so when he speaks it’s a little difficult to understand him.
At the party the boys all got along great! They all played for hours and Preston did not wear his eye patch at the party so the boy was unaware that Preston wore one. The little boy said to Preston at Costco’s why you look so weird! Are you trying to be a pirate laughing at him? His parents were a little bit embarrassed and Preston just looked at him and didn’t say anything just moved closer to my leg. I explained to him why Preston had to wear it, than his father said to him that wasn’t very nice do you like it when people say to you that you sound funny and they don’t understand you? The child just looked at him and said no I don’t, father said will than don’t do it to him.
I thought that the father was very gracious to say what he did; I think it is a great lesson, and I try and express to Preston the same to be nice to others even though you do not understand their situation.

The Visit to Dr. D's

The Visit to Dr. D’s

Preston was a little nervous to go to his eye doctor appointment today, because we did didn’t use the eye drops (Atropine drops). I had to assure him that it was mom’s and dad’s decision not to use them, and that the Dr. would not be disappointed with him concerning the drops.
While we were waiting for the Dr. to come in the room we took some pictures of the eye picture chart that he use to use, because when he was younger he didn’t know all his letters yet, so he would have to try and figure out what the pictures were. We wanted to send them to our illustrator; we also took some pictures of the Dr. With Preston during his eye visit to show people what the children go through during their visits.
Preston’s left eye didn’t get any better but it also didn’t get any worse. The good thing was that his eye didn’t continue to wander out! I was very happy to hear that! We did see a little bit of an increase in his good eye. I will take any good news!!
The Dr. tried to explain to Preston our goal from day one was to get his weak eye strong enough to be able to drive if anything where ever to happen to his good eye. I don’t like putting that out there! So we will continue to patch. I also still need to get those drops into his right eye! Because of Preston’s age it is getting really close to taking another look at the eye surgery. We will revisit that when we go back to see his Dr. in three months. I am very proud of Preston he has the determination to get his eye better.

No Atropine drops yet

No Atropine drops yet

I have to confess that I have not yet put the Atropine drops in Prestons eye. I am still having a tuff time with it. I know that the Dr. says that he needs to use the drops for 6 wks to see if it makes a difference with his eye wandering out (Extropia) he use to be Estropia.
So now it would be for a different reason than when he used it before. That’s why I didn’t understand it at first when she asked me to start the drops again and knew that I was not a fan of it. Dr. D took time out of her day to explain why he needed to use the drops again. She sent me the explanation through email, as I posted on an earlier post.
Preston is going to be off track soon for 3 wks I think I will start it than that way if he is really struggling it will not affect his school work and I can just take him off the drops.