I had several conversations with our insurance company last week and they confirmed that all the services from Dr. Hertle, including the surgery (IF Dr. Hertle thinks surgery is the best treatment) will be covered under our plan. Unfortunately, the travel expenses will not be reimbursed, but I knew that was probably too good to be true.
I notified Dr. Hertle's office right away, that our insurance gave us the thumbs up, and they called me yesterday to schedule her first appointment with Dr. Hertle.
She will meet the doctor on April 18th.
That's just barely a month and a half away! That is half the time it took me to get in with ANY of our local specialists!
This visit will be four hours long and in addition to meeting with the doctor, will include several tests. As I understand it, all of the following tests will be preformed in those four hours:
- Comprehensive Exam
- Detailed Exam
- Electroretinography (ERG)
- B scan
- Gaze and Fixation Nystagmus Eye Movement Recording
- Color Vision Extended
- Ext Ocular Photography
- Fundus Photography
- Sensorimotor Exam
- PLT Pref Looking Test
- Visual Evoked Potentional (I don't think they are testing for MS, but this was the best discription I could find.)
- Visual Field Extended
I'm excited beyond words. I was nearly hyperventilating on the phone while making the appointment. My tummy flips every time I think about how much getting Makayla this appointment means to me.But....
I have to admit, I'm a little worried about how well a 16 month old is going to tolerate so much testing. I know that for me, as an adult, by the time I'm done at my regular optometrist's eye exam, I've looked through so many "one, one, or two" slides that I just start blurting out numbers to get it over with since everything looks the same at that point.
The reading material that Dr. Hertle's office sent me says to make sure that Makayla is well rested before the visit since it will be a long day for her, but since this will be her first time traveling, I'm concerned she won't get much sleep.
I'm worried how Makayla and Austin will do being separated for the first time.
I wonder how the heck I'm going to travel, by myself, with all that I will need to care for a child under two.
I'm so scared Dr. Hertle will say the surgery isn't for Makayla.
I'm scared to death he'll say she needs the surgery.
But mostly....
I'm excited to know as much about her Nystagmus as possible.
I'm hopeful that we'll finally get an answer as to what is causing her Nystagmus and why.
I'm hopeful that we'll find a treatment effective enough for her to live independently, and enable her drive some day. And that it helps her enough that she needs no intervention in the classroom and that she's able to make friends easily.
