Recovering + New Environments

Exactly One Month Post Nystagmus Surgery - 9.2.12

It's been over a month now, since Makayla's surgery, and obviously we are long overdue for an update on her recovery. 

Makayla's recovery has been as smooth as can be.  Since those first two weeks, her eyes have been totally clear of any redness, with the exception of just the slightest bit in the very corners, which continues to fade a little bit more every day.

We noticed right away that she stopped using her old, head back tilt, null point, and that her eyes are working together now.

Before the surgery, the biggest challenge for Makayla, visually, was her depth perception.  Early on, she would simply not go beyond a certain point if she didn't know if there was a step.  I remember being a friend's house when she first learned to walk, and she was happily walking in the living room with the rest of us, but would not follow her brother into the next room where the floor changed from hard wood to tile, because she would not tell if there was a step.  Something like this would make her very frustrated and anxious.  However, eventually, she learned that she would turn around and crawl over it backwards if there was a step and she would do this over everything, from cracks in the sidewalk, to a simple doorway.  But not since surgery!

Three weeks ago, we moved to a new house now, in a new city, so she has been stripped from all her learned familiar places, and yet she is braver and more coordinated than she ever was in the old house and has a new found confidence.  In the three weeks that we have lived here, I have not seen her get down and crawl over an area once.  We have a small step from our house to our garage, and she proudly steps out without hesitation.

October 2, 20102, will mark the two month period since her surgery.  That is when the doctor said we should see the full result of surgery (although, her vision will likely improve more with age).  I will post a new video then to compare to her pre-surgery video.