Tom has 5 surgeries and a couple of EUA’s (evaluation under anesthesia) with retinal surgeon, Dr. Capone. I would really not trust anyone else to ever touch Tommy’s retinas. We have had his glaucoma surgeries here in Pittsburgh, but Tommy’s eyes are incredibly altered due to his many surgeries and the severity of his PFV…
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That’s right. NO MORE G-TUBE. We are g-tube free! Tommy had a checkup with his pediatrician last week and we again discussed Tom’s need for the feeding tube. We haven’t used it in about 8 months and that was only to give him some hydration when he was sick. We had a long spell of…
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High tone, tight muscles, hypertonicity… but what does that mean? When Tom was born we could not pull his arms above his head. The muscles were too tight and they just would not stretch. Tone is the resting state of your muscles and Tom’s muscles were hyper (over) active. You might hear someone say high…
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Welcome back! I’ve been gone for a bit but Tom sure has been busy. Daycare Adventures Tom has spent his school years at the Western PA School for Blind Children and he has also been a part of their daycare program, A Child’s View, which is a blended program for blind/visually impaired children and sighted…
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Did you listen to episode 544 of NPR’s This American Life, Batman? Well you need to. For some kids things come easy. Things don’t come so easy for Tommy, unless you are talking about music. He’s naturally tuned into that but the rest is hard work. Episode 544: Batman “Can other people’s expectations of you…
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Tommy started Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training very young. It began with “bumpers up” or walking with his hands raised in front of him for protection and exploration. Push toys were among his first O&M tools (pre-cane) and he loved them. He was a little terror rolling around our home. It was so cool to…
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You are probably wondering how you fit Halloween & echolocation in one show, right? Well, the Cat in the Hat has done it, and if you have HULU you can watch it right now. The Cat in the Hat: Tricks and Treats is a great Halloween show. It is very descriptive and includes silly songs…
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Don’t fear the cane! Especially on October 15th, White Cane Day! When Tom was a baby and I was wrapping my mind about blindness, I remember thinking, “Please don’t let him have to use braille or a cane. Give him some sight!” What I was really worried about was him being different. Tom’s eyes are…
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I think we had a very successful September. Tommy turned five and had a great party. He sang “Happy Birthday to You” and blew out his candles. We can’t quite figure out why he sings “Happy Birthday to You” in a monster voice but that’s how it comes out. I’m not picky though! I love…
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It’s Here – the SMART Brailler! So we meet again. I’ll admit. I am intimidated but charmed by this machine. It takes my fear and makes it manageable by being so easy to use. It was set up and Tom and I were banging on the keys in like 20 minutes. So what’s the big…
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