Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

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Reason #3 - I'm not going back

My son was "Born With A Bomb" - he has this "thing" inserted into his DNA. It was there from birth, he inherited it from me. He went blind.

Everybody on the planet was born with a different bomb. We have this "thing" - a "sin nature" that we inherited from Adam. Because of this, we are blinded by the god of this age.

Tom cannot make himself "unblind." This is where he is. But there is hope. There's a physician (a group of them...best in the world) who have poured their lives into fixing this mess.

We cannot make ourselves unblind. This is where we are. But there is hope. There's a Great Physician who poured out His life, fixing this mess.

Tom's physician is the only one with the key to treating LHON. There is no other treatment available, and it is only available if you are chosen to receive the treatment.

The Great Physician is also the key to healing our sin nature. There is no other treatment other than Christ, and it is only available to those who trust Him.

But Tom cannot make himself unblind...

and just so, we cannot make ourselves unblind.

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We had a very nice time at Joshua Tree, with a few new photos.

Tom's vision is stable, with an improvement in the results of the OCT (where they take a photo of the optic nerve.). Dr. Chicani said it's what they expected, and we don't go back for three months!

We borrowed a white cane for the airport - everybody we told said it's a good thing to help him navigate, and to help others identify Tom. The letter from the doctor also said that we can pre-board, so we won't have to fight for luggage space.

My pain is much worse, I'm blaming my eating today. The evidence is mounting that my pain is caused but diet, although I still want to nail down a diagnosis.

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My son (Tom) has the "official" diagnosis.  Mom carries the gene (check) Tom as the symptoms (check).

Now, the idea is to stop it where it is.  Tom's vision is 20/40 in his right eye and 20/400 in his left eye.  There is a blind spot in each eye that (at this point) do not overlap.

He was at college in Marquette when this started, and the closest neuro-ophthalmologist is at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee - Wednesday I drove to Marquette, Thursday we drove (I drove, Tom rode) to Milwaukee and then drove on to Buffalo Grove to spend a little time with Aunt Deb.  Friday, we went back to Marquette and yesterday I drove home.  I'm pretty road-weary at this point.

It was the providence of God that we were sent there (first choice was Mayo Clinic, but there were no appointments) because the doctor in Milwaukee suggested an experimental treatment (the "magic light bulb".)  Near-infrared light has been used in a colony in Brazil that has a very high incidence of Leber's with promising results.  Tom is NOT in a controlled blind study - that means that he can continue to use all of the supplements that are also suggested.

The list of supplements is rather impressive and I learned a few things about vitamins that I didn't know.  More research required.  I'm making a page on this site so I can keep track of what he's taking and how much (since I'm buying)

If his vision stays where it is now, he'll be okay.