I meant to add another blog yesterday. I really did. But I got sidelined with startling news that sent me into one of my typical irrational rages that serve no real purpose other than to wear me out emotionally and entertain anyone who can see me without being within reach.
I went to the eye doctor yesterday for an eye exam and since my prescription hasn't changed in the slightest, it was a very quick exam. I asked the doctor if she had time to do a quick check of Heather's eyes since we were there.
See, Heather has this annoying tendency to stand with her nose quite literally touching the television when it's on. No matter how many times she gets yelled at to back up and sit on the couch, she invariably winds up right back at the screen. I have asked several eye doctors over her 4 years if they would check her and all of them said it's perfectly normal behavior for a small child and since she isn't tripping over herself or bumping into things, she must be able to see just fine.
Well, okay. But it still bugs me no end, so I didn't see any reason not to ask this civilian doctor about it on the off chance that she wouldn't glance at her watch and shoo me away like the typical military doctor. (No, I'm not bitter. Why would you think that?)
Anyhoo... Dr. Jones immediately said, "I don't mind at all! Just fill out the paperwork for her so we can get her into the system and I'll get started." It took less than 5 mins for it to be determined that Heather was failing to see anything below the second line of letters on the chart. Yes, I said the second line. As in, she was only seeing the giant E and the SL that were nearly as large. Just to be safe, Dr. Jones distracted Heather with more charts and set to peering into her eyes with magnifying lenses and flashlights.
Can I just say that hearing the doctor say "Oh my God" is NOT condusive to keeping a parent calm? I had to step out into the hallway and call Steve at work to keep from panicking. I know, I know. Panicking over an eye exam is just stupid, but how many of us are absolutely convinced that our babies are perfect in every way? How many of us feel like we failed somehow when we're faced with the realization that our children are not guaranteed lives free of ailments or physical challenges?
Once I was convinced my voice wasn't going to crack the moment I tried to speak, I snuck back into the office and watched my daughter struggle to see any of what the doctor was trying to show her. There's nothing quite like seeing a full grown woman holding up a book and pointing at what should be a 3D picture of a rabbit and having your 4 year old glaring back at her and matter of factly stating "There's nothing there but an L and an R!" Heather looked like she honestly thought Dr. Jones was completely bonkers. And given the contraption Heather was currently wearing, that's saying something.
Long story short (anyone says "Too late" and I'll turn this into something to rival War and Peace) Heather has no depth perception and would be considered legally blind were she of age to drive. But Dr. Jones says it can most likely be corrected because she's still so young. Yay! Off to buy the girl child glasses. Not so yay. I think I heard Steve's wallet burst into tears.
When we left the office without the glasses she'd chosen, Heather was thoroughly perturbed. "When do I get my glasses?" "It'll take a couple of weeks. You have a special prescription and it takes longer for your lenses." "Oh. Okay."
We got to the car and started to leave the parking lot. "Wait, Mommy! You forgot my glasses!" "They're not ready yet. We'll come back when they are." "Oh. Okay."
She asked at least four more times before we got home. She asked several more times throughout the afternoon. She ambushed Steve at the door with "Daddy, you're home! Can we go get my glasses now?" She asked a few more times after that.
This morning she woke up and bounded down the stairs and straight into our bedroom with a bright and cheerful, "It's morning! It's time to go get my glasses!"
*mutter* "Your glasses won't be ready for a couple of weeks. Go back to bed."
A few more demands to go get her glasses and one colossal waterfall in the bathroom (yet again) got them both exiled to their room for the duration of the day before I ran the risk of using every scrap of duct tape in the city to stick them to the walls.
Finally! It was time for church and a wonderful distraction to take her mind off waiting for her blasted glasses! Three hours later, it was time for bed and I was looking forward to a peaceful night of sleep.
"Mommy! I can't go to sleep yet. I still don't have my glasses!"
AAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We payed $220 for Amelias glasses, we have had the lenses replaced once since as there were teeth marks on them. Now she asks for them on :) Some people say to me "aren't they cute does she need them"? uggh no I really want her to wear them purely for a fashion statement lol. Amelia cant see things close up and she has 2 astigmatisms in each eye. She going to get surgery when shes 5 to get the eye that turns in corrected. She will always wear them. Her glasses have no screws in them they are unbreakable lol. I love that Heather is excited to wear glasses.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Heather's cost us when all was said and done. At least they'll replace the frames if they break in the first year, and the lenses once if they somehow get scratched up.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember what the doctor told me correctly, Heather has one eye that is 20/5 and the other is 20/650. The prescription is so outrageous that they can't give her the full strength. She has to start at half strength.
Dr. Jones said that Heather's likely been like this her entire life and her brain simply erases what she can't focus on. She said that if Heather were to suddenly be able to see like we do, she wouldn't recognize anything.
Anyway, they're optimistic that her brain can be retrained and then she'll develop depth perception. She'll be going back every 6 months for the next several years and if everything goes as planned, she'll need new lenses each time. *twitch*