I have a 3 inch 3-ring binder where I’ve kept all the paperwork (doc’s instructions, etc.) from Mia’s doctor’s appointments and prescriptions since she was diagnosed with Uveitis back in the Fall of 2014. It’s just about full. Supposedly, 3 inch binders can hold around 600 sheets. She has been through A LOT in the past year and a half. I call the binder “Mia’s Eye Files”. We recently learned that Mia’s eye doctor will be leaving New Mexico. We are bummed. She is a wonderful pediatric ophthalmologist, and so great with kids. So now, we will need to find a new Pediatric Eye Doc, and we still have no Pediatric Rheumatologist. I’m thankful that Mia hasn’t had any arthritic symptoms.
As we continue to try to get Mia into remission from her Uveitis, today we are officially stopping the steroid eye drop (again). She had her last drop yesterday. We are continuing using 2 glaucoma drops several times a day (for eye pressure) and a dilating drop three times a day (to try to break up some synechiae, where her iris is still sticking to her cornea). She is on the maximum dosage of oral Methotrexate, so we are all hoping that it is enough to keep the autoimmune response at bay. She had a scare a couple weeks ago that she might have been flaring in both eyes, but it turned out to be allergies and/or pink eye, and has resolved completely. She currently has no inflammation in her eyes, but her eye pressure is still high in her left eye. Also, her cataract is still growing. The Doc said she will probably need cataract surgery in the future. We are still patching her good eye everyday for 4 hours, and that is going well. It has just become a part of life. So that’s where we are right now.
We are holding steady for now and hoping she doesn’t begin to flare again now that we are off the steroid eye drops. All the following systemic medications from here will need to be either shots or an IV infusion if the Methotrexate doesn’t work, so we are praying we don’t have to go down that route, but we will if it can preserve her vision. Her vision in the left eye is now around 20/60 or 20/70, so she will probably need new glasses next month. Please continue to keep her in prayer. She is such a trooper, and really tries not to let things bother her. Her last blood test was fabulous… no tears, and results look good, so her liver,kidneys, etc. aren’t being affected by the medication she is on. Yay!