Eye Update 2

I'm sorry we have not updated sooner.  This is what is going on with Colby's eyes.  When Dr. Parma performed the laser surgery last Friday he had a very hard time seeing what he was supposed to burn off because of a lack of pigment in Colby's retinas.  Because of this and the severity of the ROP in Colby's eyes the laser was not as effective in his left eye as it was in his right eye.  The vessels were continuing to grow angrily causing them to bleed and preventing the pupil from dilating so that Dr. Parma could get a good look at what needed to be done next.  It put us in a situation where our only chance at stopping the vessels from causing retinal detachment was to give an injection of a IVAV (Intravitreal anti-VEGF) drug called Avastan.

When babies are born prematurely their bodies will sometimes stop producing the blood vessels that it needs to take oxygen to the retina for proper development.  When the body realizes that it is not producing these vessels it creates a chemical called VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) so that it will start producing vessels. The problem is this chemical makes the vessels grow abnormal and then ROP sets in.

Depending on the severity of the ROP there are different treatments that can be done to stop the process.  In Colby's since the laser surgery didn't work our next step is the injections.

The purpose of the injections is to do the same thing as the laser.  It is supposed to kill of the VEGF hormone so that it will stop the blood vessels from growing out of control.  Dr. Parma performed the procedure Thursday night and was successful in administering the drug.  He will look again Sunday at both eyes to see if the left eye is responding to the injections and to make sure the right eye is still maintaining stability.  There is still the possibility that the right eye will have the same problems as the left and require the injections.  After his examination Sunday he will know a little more about the next steps, whether it be more injections or more laser surgery.

I know we have said it many times but I cannot express how grateful we are to be surrounded by so much love and support from family and friends.  This journey has been so emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting and without you all we would never make it.  We know God's plan is perfect and we pray everyday that His will be done.