PHANEROO \fan-er-o-oo\Greek: to manifest in word or deed.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Sporting the Spectacles

Today Lily had an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. G, to test her vision. In about 2 weeks she will be sporting some new spectacles. He determined that she has very poor vision in both eyes but the right eye is the weakest. He called it strabismus ("lazy eye"). Although I've never noticed Lily to look cross-eyed. Dr. G explained that it can happen if left untreated because the brain will tell the weak eye to stop working and then the eye begins to float. He said she was "legally blind." I never understood what that meant when I've heard people say it before. Dr. G showed me by putting a lens up to my eye and asked me to try to read the chart. I could not even read the top line - it was crazy blurry! He said that's how Lily sees. Wow! But according to Dr. G, the good news for Lily is that she is young and her brain can still work really hard to focus. And if she is really great about wearing her glasses her vision will begin to correct and she may grow out of the vision problem (we are talking about several years). If left untreated she would most likely remain legally blind and she would develop crossed eyes. That doesn't sound good to me so we'll need to help her get adjusted to wearing glasses all the time. I know it'll be a huge change for her (remember, she is my sensory sensitive one that HATES change), but if we can make it her new normal then I know she'll do just fine. I let her pick out a pair of glasses today. We started with her favorite color: purple. In about 2 weeks her purple glasses will be ready and I think she'll become a more confident happy little girl when she begins to see her world more clearly.

3 comments:

Jesse and Leslie said...

Yeah for the bug! I know it will be a tough transition at first, but I think she will like the benefit of her vision improvement so much that she won't mind the minor inconviences. I had to get glasses when I around 4 and wore them all the time until high school so I know all the four eyes jokes! I can't wait to see her new specs - she will be beyone cute in them! Tell her Aunt Les had glasses at her age and they really are like having a super power and most everyone only has two eyes, but she is special because she will have four :-)

Pamela said...

Bless her little heart. I didn't have to get glasses until about 5th grade and by high school I was considered legally blind. Alot of people didn't know and it was hard for me because I couldn't see sometimes and I think people thought I was ignoring them. But the great thing is about 4 years ago my vision DRASTICALLY improved. The eye doctor said he had never seen anything like it! I bet the same thing can happen for Lily!

Thanks for the sweet comment about SL's room!

Staci said...

Oh bet she will look cute in them! Better stock up on an extra pair - my friends' little girl (who is 4 and has had glasses since 1) has a little brother that likes to hide her glasses or break them!!!
And Lily has 2 little brothers so a chance of that happening is high!
;)