Yoavi vs the Ptosis Surgery

Shavua Tov, everyone! May this be a great week for you! It's almost 2014 and I'm still trying to figure out where December 2013 went.

Last Monday was Yoav's eye surgery. He had the frontalis sling procedure done with Dr. Leemor Rotberg. She's a phenomenal pediatric ophthalmologist and we highly recommend her! We're lucky that Yo's pediatrician follows up with her and adds the information to his chart. We're also lucky that Yo's uncle Danny is best buds with Yo's pediatrician. We could discuss after-care with them both and know they'd receive information about Yo's procedure from Dr. Rotberg.

I took some time to blog about it because I needed to gather some pictures and my sanity. It's been a rough week. As the days go by, I can see him becoming more uncomfortable with the silicon rod in his eye but I think, over time, it'll get easier for him. To add insult to injury, he's teething - so I can't really tell if he's unhappy because of his eye or because of his teeth.

For a few days, Yo was waking up crying and we couldn't tell if it was his teeth or his eyes - we guessed his eyes because he would rub them and keep crying. I figured out that it's the ointment we put in his eyes while he sleeps. Some ointments are 80+% white petroleum and 20% mineral oil. Others contain 57% white petroleum and 43% mineral oil. The more petroleum in the ointment, the harder it was on his eye. We're currently using the Target brand of ointment for nightime relief. It's the only one that doesn't make him scream and cry. Go figure.

Normally, after surgery, kids wake up groggy and foggy but they take quite a few naps during the day. Not this kid. He wanted to stay awake and hang out with the kind relatives that came for a visit. He was back to his normal self the following day - just like the doctor said he would be. I kinda miss the kid from post-surgery. He was cuddly and quiet. Normal Yoav is awesome...until he decides to be a holy terror.

We're glad we did the surgery. We can already see a difference in the way he moves around. Where he was walking last Sunday, he's now running because he can see. Where he was tilting his head back to see the TV or read a book, now he looks straight forward. Where he used to let the dogs come to him, now he runs after them ... because he can see them. Poor dogs.

Here are some before pictures of Yoav:

And here are some after photos:

Over time, it'll get better. Right now, when he looks up or he gets surprised, one eye is REALLY surprised while the other is just kind of surprised. Eventually, that'll relax.

We'll keep you posted with his follow ups and his progress. We won't know how successful the surgery was until a few months from now. Until then, just enjoy his cuteness.

Our Journey with Ptosis: Part III

It's been a while since I wrote anything about Yoav's ptosis - mainly because there's been nothing to write home about. Until today.

For the last year, we sent Yoav to the most amazing ophthalmologist in metro Detroit. Her brother happens to also be a good friend of mine. Her husband's family is close with my family, as well. She knows my siblings and their friends, too. Aside from that, her reputation as a doctor is why we chose to see her. Dr. Leemor Rotberg of Children's Eye Care. She's been there from the moment we came off the plane until now. We could not be more thrilled with her as a doctor.

Still, today we came to the hard decision that we knew was coming. My sweet and precocious little boy needs eye surgery. His time has come and we knew this day was coming - we're finally out of limbo.

Dr. Rotberg was amazing and explained aspects of his surgery that we never really thought to ask - like the fact that he's going to look fairly beat up for a while. After surgery, his eye isn't going to close properly for some time. He may have a scar. This is all superficial stuff until you think about the fact that his eye being open all the time could mean he's more susceptible to infection. He's not even two yet, so he might scratch at his face because it itches when it heals. There are lots of things to consider.

Still, it's time and knowing that he'll be in great hands doesn't mean I worry any less. There are quite a few websites out there that document what it'll look like after surgery - we're going to become one of those sites/blogs.

The jaw winking syndrome is why his eye is open here.

Yoav has Marcus Gunn Jaw Winking Syndrome - which created his ptosis. The ptosis is causing his vision to deteriorate. We tried patching and it worked for about a year until he decided he no longer wanted his eye patched. Once the patch came off, his vision regressed. Awesome, right? The surgery is being done to counteract the regression and to help him see.

Once the surgery is done, there will likely be no trips to Target for a while but we may make an exception and take him to Toys R Us to get some toys. He's going to need some giant sunglasses so people don't think we harm our son and his mom is going to need some company for the first few days after his surgery.

Gratitude Challenge - Feeling Icky

Hi Fans! Sorry I've been so elusive lately! I'm battling one hell of a flu virus! Saturday, just before lunching with a friend in Jerusalem, I started feeling queasy. By the time we hit the restaurant, I started feeling dehydrated and then it came on... the nausea. I barely got a chance to speak to my friend due to my frequent trips to the bathroom. Before we hit the car, I was nearly on the floor. I'll spare you the details but it wasn't pretty and I am STILL sick!

Since going back to work, I've been sick at least once a month. It sucks and I'm sure my bosses just looooove it. Well, this time, I'm about 2 weeks shy of my resignation date and I have sooooo much work to do but I'm completely side lined by this whole thing.

So, quickly, I'm going to list a few things I've been grateful for the last few days...

• My dogs - because they stuck by my side the ENTIRE time I spewed chunks and cuddled with me endlessly.
• My son - he's so patient and I think he just 'gets it' that Ima's not feeling so hot. He's going easy on me.
• Our Gannenet (day care lady) - she took Yoavi yesterday when both of us were completely out of commission. 
• Grocery shopping online - it allowed me to buy stuff to make chicken soup ... because it's all I can eat.
• Chicken soup and rice - because it's all I can eat.

For your enjoyment, here's Yoav not enjoying his food...

Now tell me what you're grateful for...

Gratitude Challenge - the Lost Days

First, Happy America Day (as some of my Israeli friends call it) - I hope you're having a fantastic 4th of July and I REALLY hope you're grateful to the men and women who risk their lives to protect your freedom every day. I know I am!

Source: inspirationsofold.blogspot.com via Gin on Pinterest

I kind of missed out on day 3 and almost day 4 of the Gratitude Challenge. Why? Well, I got tired and the lazy side of me took over. Still, I DO want to tell you what I'm grateful for. A little back story first...

Yesterday, Yoav had two doctor's visits that I deemed completely unnecessary. One was a follow up with his orthopedist to make sure his bowed feet straightened out (they did) and the second was a follow up to a follow up with his neurologist. Well, the first appointment (with the foot doctor) was almost missed. I decided to out-smart traffic and I accidentally turned into an area that took me straight to the highway. Yes, I felt like an idiot. Yes, I called my husband for help. He rescheduled the appointment for later that afternoon.

Peekaboo - I see you!!

The appointment with the neurologist was missed but only because I hit major traffic. It takes a half an hour (often less) to get from my house to his office - yet, yesterday it would have taken me 90 minutes. Craig called the office to ask if it was OK for me to be late and they told him 'no', so he canceled it!

Look what I can do!

So, why the back story? First, I felt like an idiot but in my idiocy, I actually got to spend more time with Yoav, which is something I've been CRAVING lately! Second, it gave me more down time - I was actually able to just chill for a bit. So, I am eternally grateful for yesterday!

And what about today... Well, every year, on the 4th of July, my office celebrates the holiday. My bosses are aware that most of us miss being home this time of year, so they always bring in lunch for us. The food wasn't so tasty but the sentiment was really appreciated.

Hi. Why won't you just let me sleep!

I'm grateful for a few other things, too...

• We have great friends - we really do!
• My friends at work because they just get me. It's a rare thing to find.
• My son - but not in the cheesy way - he's taught me humility and patience.
• Hot dogs! I'm really grateful for them because they're very versatile for me when cooking here.
• My freedom...I'm really grateful to have citizenship to two countries in which I'm free. I don't take my freedom for granted - it's truly a gift!

Why do we keep going to the doctor??

So, tell me, this 4th of July, what are YOU grateful for! Keep those positive thoughts comin'!!

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Wordless Wednesday - Sick Boo-Bear

Someone caught a virus at day care and passed it on to Ima.

Wordless Wednesday - Little Faces

Hi Ima (mom).

Check out my not-so-wordless Wednesday over at my other blog.

Hello Yellow Brick Road

"Any idiot with a computer can blog..." - wise words from my dad.

Any idiot with a computer CAN blog - my dad was right and this idiot (or dumb Anglo as one woman called me at the dentist yesterday) is going on a journey down the yellow brick road.

Hellooooo Emerald City!

I feel lucky. I have a great husband, two amazing dogs, and one little boy that I would die for. I'm not sleep deprived. I'm well fed. I'm happy!

Me being happy.

Are you wondering what's wrong with me? Absolutely nothing.

I generally have a really good outlook on life and I often roll with the punches. When you live in Israel, there are often a lot of punches to roll with. As an immigrant, I'm always feeling like I'm trying to crawl out of some kind of hole. I never seem to make enough money. I never seem to have enough time to do anything. And I always seem to be stressed.


But I'm happy. I'm a happy idiot.

See? Happy Idiot.

I'm not the first blogger to blog about the trials and tribulations of living in Israel. I certainly won't be the last. I'm honest when I tell people that, yes, we are moving back "home". Here's the thing, I feel stuck between two countries. There's the country that I often love (and struggle to survive in) and the country I was born in where my family lives. Sometimes Israel doesn't feel like home. Sometimes the US doesn't feel so home-y either. I hate visiting Detroit because I know, at some point, I have to leave and say goodbye to my family. Saying "goodbye" is the hardest part.


I've been called an idiot a lot lately...mostly due to our decision to leave Israel. "You're an idiot for leaving!" "You're just like all of the other idiots - you take, take, take what Israel gives you and give nothing in return!"

I do give in return. I DO! I pay my taxes. I give to charity. My husband serves in reserve duty. I gave birth to an Israeli child! I work hard in this country and I don't always see a happy reward for working that hard. I may be an idiot for leaving but I am not an idiot who takes without giving back.

There is a new breed of Olim (immigrants) in Israel. We're the ones who DID give and decide to move on. We stand as representatives for everything that's amazing about Israel. We leave for many reasons: financial purposes; higher education; family. But we do give back. Many of us pay our taxes abroad (which is more than I can say for some Israelis living IN Israel who DON'T pay their taxes). We keep our health care options open by paying monthly to a fund we may never use. We are representatives who will gladly tell you what living in Israel is really like without glossing over the bad parts but we relish in the good parts that make this place paradise at times.

We are not idiots.

As a happy-go-lucky American living in Israel, I can safely say that most of my Israeli friends would take my US citizenship in a heartbeat. I can also safely say that if my family lived in Israel, I would probably never leave.

I'm on a new path and I'm following the yellow brick road in hopes that I find the Emerald City. I may find myself back in Kansas (or, in this case, Israel) but I will be the happy idiot who enjoys the ride along the way.

Remember: life's a journey, not a destination.

Our Journey with Ptosis: Part II

If you're an old-time reader of our blog, you may have noticed that I haven't written in a few days. I came out and told everyone about Yoav's eye condition called congenital ptosis. Since then, I've found it hard to focus because I've been doing a lot of research. A LOT of research. So has Craig. We're now totally versed in this eye condition and it's a little scary.

I like visiting Daddy at work ... for the bean bag chairs.

We met with his ophthalmologist yesterday and it didn't take her long to recommend surgery. What frightened me was how urgent she made it all sound.

I'm not sure what you know about Israel but the country kind of shuts down during Passover. It's hard to make medical appointments during the holiday because it's a favorite vacation period.

This means we may not hear back from a surgeon for about two weeks. The ophthalmologist's recommendation was for him to have surgery within the next four to five weeks. It sounds REALLY fast - I know. Part of me was relieved when she recommended surgery. When we got home, we started notifying our family about Yoav's upcoming surgery. For the most part, we heard a lot of positive support. After all, we ARE talking about my kid's eye sight. I heard some recommendations for a second opinion but we don't feel that's necessary. Pediatric ophthalmologists are hard to find here and we went to one of the best.

As I started doing more research on the types of surgeries offered for ptosis, then I became scared. The surgery isn't so scary - it's the recovery that's tough. Yoav will walk around with stitches around his eye and a few puncture marks for a few months. It'll look like we're unfit parents - thankfully I could give two sh*ts about what people think. Some of our neighbors know what's going on, so they won't likely call the Israeli version of CPS.

Not Yoav. Just a tired puppy.

I'm also nervous because my Hebrew is terrible. I am not a fan of being judged by doctors who don't understand that when it comes to medical information, I prefer they speak English. Yesterday, I missed some information because the doctor was speaking to Craig in Hebrew. I just sat there with a blank look on my face. To me, there is nothing scarier than having a medical issue occur in a foreign country where you're not fluent in the language.

So, I guess it's not the surgery that scares me. It's the stuff that revolves around the surgery that frightens me. I know Yoav will be OK and I know this is for the best but I'm his Ima (mom) and my job is to worry about him in all kinds of ways.

I'm going to do my best to document Yoav's surgery, post op, recovery and over-all journey. Thanks to another great blogger, I found a ptosis Yahoo group that may come in handy. There are some great blogs out there that document a child's journey with ptosis - I found this blog on congenital ptosis and frontalis sling surgery VERY helpful!

Wish us luck!

Our Battle with Ptosis - Part 1

Every once in a while I like to get a little serious on our blog and clue people in on what's going on in our lives. On occasion, I like to educate people based on things that we are dealing with. Today is one of those days. I'm taking a little break from creating healthy passover recipes to get a little serious.

Have you ever heard of ptosis? Paris Hilton has it. No, it's not an STD. It's an eye condition sometimes referred to as droopy eye. If you have ptosis, it basically means you have a droop eye lid.

You know who else has ptosis? My son.

For the first few days after his birth, the hospital and all of their doctors kept saying "it's an after effect from birth, it'll go away." When Yoav was in NICU, one of the top pediatricians noticed that his eye opens more when he eats but she didn't know why. She just thought it was funny. She called over every colleague she could find to look at the "funny baby". No one told us that his party trick wasn't normal.

Two weeks after taking Yoav home, we went to see a pediatrician about his eye. She said the same thing the hospital did but this time I asked her "what happens if it doesn't? When do I notify you that it hasn't gone away?" Her answer "give it a week - if it doesn't go away, come back and see me." So, we did. Then she nearly yelled at my husband for not taking him to a pediatric ophthalmologist. He had to remind her that she needed to refer us to one ... and she did.

Within five minutes of seeing the pediatric eye doctor, she said "he has jaw winking ptosis." I asked her what it is and she said "google it, you'll find a better description of what it is." That is so NOT the answer I want to hear from a doctor but she was right. I learned that if his pupil is more than 50% covered by his eye lid, he could lose his eye sight.

It's a very serious condition!

We have a follow up appointment with her next week and I'm terrified. I'm not scared that she'll tell us he needs surgery. I'm scared of the opposite. In my research, I've read that it's uncommon for a child under the age of four to have this condition corrected surgically.

In an age where kids get bullied for wearing the wrong t-shirt to school, I worry that Yoav will be ridiculed for his droopy eye lid. I can't tell the future but I've seen kids made fun of for less.

No one knows what caused Yoav's ptosis but the lack of muscle in his eyelid and his mis-wiring in his jaw is a scary thing. I also hate having to explain to every Tom, Dick, and @$$hole why my son looks different. If you think it's hard to explain in English, try doing it in Hebrew.

I'm lucky to have supportive parents, siblings, and friends. My Dad found a great pediatric ophthalmic surgeon near him in Florida and my Mom has been an awesome shoulder to lean on! My friends and siblings keep bugging us for more pictures of Yoav - even with his funky eye, he's still a cutie ... and he already knows it.

There's actually not much written about ptosis on the interwebs - I found a few personal blogs that recount their tales of dealing with ptosis and the stories are all the same for the most part. Unfortunately, even with the surgery, there's no guarantee that the muscle will improve and there's no guarantee that he won't need another surgery a year after the first one. It's a scary thought for a parent! So, we just quietly pray and ask G-d for help.

Purim Lessons

Happy Purim to my fellow Yids and Happy Thursday to you all! If you aren't familiar with this awesome Jewish holiday, allow me to enlighten you a bit. Purim (pronounced Poo-rEEm) is yet another story of someone who wanted to kill the Jews. In brief, way back in Persia, a great king had a horrible adviser who set out to destroy the Jews. A brave young woman named Esther came in, the king fell in love with her, and she asked the king to save the Jews... which he did. And they all lived happily after... except the evil guy. You can easily find out more about the story of Purim - it actually makes for a great bed time story for kids!

I LOVE Purim! You get to dress up and act like a fool for a day! It's a fun holiday here in Israel and can be seen as the Jewish version of Halloween... but that stops at the costumes and candy. We don't trick or treat. We don't decorate our homes with pumpkins. Instead, we go to the synagogue to listen to Megilat Esther (the scroll of Esther). It's considered a great honor and good deed to listen to Esther's story. Adults are commanded to drink alcohol to the point where they can't tell the difference between the handsome king and the evil Hamman. I'm not exactly sure but when I was younger, I was all about this aspect. As a new Mom, I have a hard enough time staying awake... I don't need the extra help.

Anyway, part of why I LOVE this holiday is because it's the story of survival. It's also the story of how one woman changed the world. How f*cking awesome is that?? Women are powerful creatures and I really like how this story celebrates that!

Since we dress up on Purim, here is what Yoav dressed up as ... until he threw up all over his dinosaur costume.

As with nearly every Jewish holiday, this is also time for family and I miss mine greatly!

Happy Purim to you!!

The Race Begins

When I got pregnant, I wasn't the slimmest person in the world. In fact, I felt really horrible about myself. I started a diet program around my 30th birthday that led me to some weight loss ... and then I got pregnant! For the most part, I ate really really well during my pregnancy. I'll admit that I indulged a bit but I wasn't completely sedentary.

Yoav is officially 3 weeks old today and I'm finally feeling well enough to start working out a bit. The downside? The weather here kind of sucks. By the end of my pregnancy, I felt like a whale and I probably looked like it, too. Three weeks later, I've lost 27 lbs. I'm not joking... that's how much fluid was in me. If 7lbs was baby, then another 20lbs was water! I'm still shedding water like you wouldn't believe but I think the worst is over. Another downside? I still have 8lbs left to go before I'm back to my "original" pre-baby weight. Sinking even lower into my hole... 8lbs is just the tip of the iceberg. I want to be back to the weight I was in 2007 - 125lbs. I have a LONG way to go!

I don't want to be skinny. I want to be healthy! I want to be muscular and fit, not thin and flabby. It's time to dust off my old workout clothes and start hitting the pavement with Yoav! I have 11 weeks left of maternity leave which means I have 11 weeks left to lose some weight. We move back around August which means I have about 22 weeks left to lose A LOT of weight. If I lose 2lbs per week from now until I move back to the Motor City, I will have lost 44lbs. Think I can do it?

Let the race against the clock begin!

Welcome to the World

It's been a while since I posted something personal but I have a good reason .... I had a baby!! Allow me to introduce Yoav Rubin Glaser. Our son was born on February 2nd, 2012 via C-Section after 55+ hours in labor. Isn't he cute??

I love Kermit the Frog!

Go Blue!

Yoav is already a half-month old and he doesn't even look like he did when these pictures were taken. It's insane how different he looks every day. So, ready for his birth story?

On January 29th, I went in for a routine weekly OB/GYN check up. After another fetal monitor and blood pressure check, I was sent to my doctor so he could see the results. The verdict: go to the hospital ASAP! Apparently, I was experiencing hypertension and he wanted the hospital to induce labor. So, off we went.

At the hospital's pregnancy ER, I underwent another fetal monitor exam and blood pressure check up. I was asked if I was experiencing any headaches, blurry vision, or tummy pain. The answer: I have a sinus headache from the rain. So, off I went to the regular ER where I waited an hour to see a neurologist. In my opinion, if you make someone wait an hour to see a neurologist, they may as well be dead. If I had any real neurological issues, like a stroke or something, I would have died waiting to see someone. Yet, she gave me a clean bill of health and even wrote out that I know a sinus headache when I feel one. She then sent me to the ophthalmologist to make sure everything was OK before sending me back to the pregnancy ER. The verdict: I was A-OK in the head and eyes.

After realizing that I was OK, the doctor on staff said he'd like to admit me to the high risk ward and he was recommending inducing me. Why the recommendation? Because he doesn't have the authority to decide if I should be induced. Nearly 18 hours later, I was told by a doctor I was being induced. The problem? I was having my own contractions and they wanted to wait and see if something happened naturally. Another 15 hours went by before they gave me my first dose of pge2 (the induction pill). I have never felt pain like this before!! It got really bad and then it stopped. Since my contractions were so bad, the doctors decided not to give me another dose of pge2 eight hours after the first dose. They thought my cervix would dilate on its own. It didn't. My contractions stopped. I was given the second dose over 24 hours after the first one. It did nothing. Eight hours after that, I was given a third dose. That did nothing, too. Then I started contracting on my own, again. And quite badly.

The big problem? I wasn't dilating. After three doses of pge2, nothing was happening!! The next day, a doctor that I refer to as Dr. Nice Guy came by and told me that he wanted to try dilating me using a balloon. At this point I was in tears because I had been examined vaginally so many times that I was in physical pain from my auto immune disease. Plus, as a survivor of sexual assault and rape, I don't exactly want someone I don't know touching me. I clam up. At one point, one examination was so bad and painful that I cried uncontrollably for an hour into Craig's chest and he made it very clear to the nurses that this doctor is NEVER to come near me again. I was then given a sedative and I drifted off to sleep.

Anyway, after two failed balloon attempts, Dr. Nice Guy went to speak to the head physician (the Dean) and I was told they were going to send me to labor and delivery where I'd be given Pitocin and an epidural! Once the epidural kicked in, I don't remember much else about that day. I slept a lot. At some point, another doctor came in with Dr. Nice Guy and I was given two options: give the Pitocin another two hours to see if I dilate or have a C-Section. After about five minutes of discussion, I told them to get the kid out of me. Another two hours of Pitocin wasn't going to do anything since I was no more dilated five days into my hospital stay than I was when I walked into the hospital.

At 8:35pm, on February 2nd, I gave birth to a very loud little boy. The next day, he was taken to the NICU for jaundice. The nightmare continued. He was there for five days and they were the longest five days of my life. The State of Israel takes this stuff VERY seriously- especially since it was my blood that caused the issue. We have an ABO blood incompatibility. By February 7th (the day I was supposed to deliver ... and a day after my parents arrived), we took our gorgeous little boy home. He's been given a clean bill of health by the Dean of the NICU and by his pediatrician!