Thank You, Almighty

This morning (Monday, December 24, 2007) we took our son to the doctor for his eye check-up. I have been waiting breathlessly and simultaneously dreading the visit. It was the day we would know whether or not the second round of cryotherapy worked. The little tyke hates these visits and I don't blame him. A hyperactive 6-year-old having to to sit with his eyes closed for nearly an hour is torture. Anyway, we somehow managed that with stories and "fact-stories" and occasional pick-me-up-and-carry-me-around requests.

Then it was time for us to go in. This doctor is a rather to-the-point kind of fellow. So he carried out his examination and with the same deadpan expression, proceeded to look at each and every page of the kid's hospital record. And we waited...and waited...and waited. I was sure my heart was about to fall right out of my mouth when he finally spoke: "Well, it is stable." The best four words I've ever heard.

We then asked questions to get some more details. Turns out that there has been no fresh leakage over the past 2 months, which means the condition has "stabilized." And then the doctor said something even more heartening. "If it stays this way, we can leave it as it is. The exudates (leakage) will get absorbed over time or we can do some laser to get rid of it."

I sat there gaping at him. I know I did. I couldn't speak and I couldn't gulp.

The kid's next check-up is in March to see if it he condition remains stable. My understanding is that if the second round of cryopexy worked, then he has a good chance at beating this thing altogether. Of course, the other doctor's words still haunt me: Be prepared for multiple treatments.

I am prepared, but today's results were God's doing and I thank the Almighty like I have never thanked Him before.

PS: Ever since I was around 8 years old, I've always had this "great expectation" feeling around Christmas. It's weird because we're not Christians, so the feeling that the day was somehow significant seemed baseless. Over the years, I learned to put it down to the whole commercialization of expecting a gift and doing up a Christmas tree and whatnot. (Score one for the Americanization of the world, etc.) Today, that void was filled...and how! It was the best Christmas gift I could have ever hoped for. So once again, thank you, God.

(Originally posted on Monday, December 24, 2007 on an earlier blog, now deleted.)