Just a quickie little post to say.......so far, so good!
We've been wearing the glasses for a week now and he ACTUALLY KEEPS THEM ON HIS FACE. Every so often he'll take them off and we put them back on, but he's really gotten the hang of them. Totally a million times easier than I had feared. Apparently he likes the glasses because they help him see better. (Well, duh!)
One quick note: haven't seen his eyes turn in AT ALL since he started wearing them. Is it a coincidence? Is it that his far-sightedeness has improved a ton already? Where is the strabismus? No idea, just some things I will bring up during our follow-up appointment with the doctor in two weeks.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
We've Got Glasses!
We picked up B's glasses yesterday. The tech at the doctor's office helped tighten them on his face and he didn't even scream. He sat quietly in my lap and let her tighten the frames. Yay!
He did the cutest thing once they were on his nose -- he smiled, he pushed them up and down, peeking over the rims, admiring his clear vision and brand-new sight. And surprise, surprise: he kept them on his face!!
Until we got home. I took them off for nap, but then he refused to wear them again the rest of the day.
But today (day 2 with our glasses!) he's much better and willingly wearing them. He wore them all morning and we just removed them for nap time. Wish us luck he puts them back on willingly after his nap.
We have to go back to the doctor's office tomorrow though because the frames are too loose and slide down his face a bit more than they should. Not entirely terrible but they seem a little too loose for his comfort level.
So far, so good. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the glasses correct his far-sighted-ness enough that the esotropia goes away and he DOESN'T need glasses or surgery and can live an easy life. And be a surgeon or a pilot or an artist or whatever HE wants -- without visual limitations or impairments.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!
He did the cutest thing once they were on his nose -- he smiled, he pushed them up and down, peeking over the rims, admiring his clear vision and brand-new sight. And surprise, surprise: he kept them on his face!!
Until we got home. I took them off for nap, but then he refused to wear them again the rest of the day.
But today (day 2 with our glasses!) he's much better and willingly wearing them. He wore them all morning and we just removed them for nap time. Wish us luck he puts them back on willingly after his nap.
We have to go back to the doctor's office tomorrow though because the frames are too loose and slide down his face a bit more than they should. Not entirely terrible but they seem a little too loose for his comfort level.
So far, so good. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the glasses correct his far-sighted-ness enough that the esotropia goes away and he DOESN'T need glasses or surgery and can live an easy life. And be a surgeon or a pilot or an artist or whatever HE wants -- without visual limitations or impairments.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Social Stigma: Study Confirms Strabismus Easily Recognized Even By Small Children
Found this depressing study -- Negative social bias against children with strabismus -- and it makes me worry how strabismus may affect B in school.
This is scary:
"Strabismus might also be a handicap from an educational point of view. It is particularly interesting and important to note that children with strabismus may not be given the same opportunities as others at school. We demonstrated that teachers have major preconceptions regarding the performance of strabismic children. They believe that these children may not be as capable of learning as 'normal' children and may not be able to fulfill responsibilites given to them. Besides, they prefer to assign duties to 'normal' students during cultural activities at school. These results strongly support the suggestion that strabismus may potentially have a negative impact on a child's education."
And this paragraph from the same study just about breaks my heart:
"In one study, children older than 6 years of age almost uniformly gave a negative description of strabismic dolls and hesitated to play with them (Paysse et al. 2001). A child who is viewed differently by his peers because of strabismus would probably have difficulties in socializing with other children. Our results give credence to this concept as the participants suggested that it could be harder for strabismic children to be accepted into a social group of friends."
This is scary:
"Strabismus might also be a handicap from an educational point of view. It is particularly interesting and important to note that children with strabismus may not be given the same opportunities as others at school. We demonstrated that teachers have major preconceptions regarding the performance of strabismic children. They believe that these children may not be as capable of learning as 'normal' children and may not be able to fulfill responsibilites given to them. Besides, they prefer to assign duties to 'normal' students during cultural activities at school. These results strongly support the suggestion that strabismus may potentially have a negative impact on a child's education."
And this paragraph from the same study just about breaks my heart:
"In one study, children older than 6 years of age almost uniformly gave a negative description of strabismic dolls and hesitated to play with them (Paysse et al. 2001). A child who is viewed differently by his peers because of strabismus would probably have difficulties in socializing with other children. Our results give credence to this concept as the participants suggested that it could be harder for strabismic children to be accepted into a social group of friends."
Sensitivity Training, Or What Not to Say to Families Dealing With Strabismus
First, yes, my boy is healthy and happy. The diagnosis of double strabismus and accommodative esotropia is not a death sentence. We're very, very blessed with two healthy children and love them beyond life itself.
However, can I just say how disappointing it is that people -- the general public, friends, family -- don't get how upsetting this diagnosis can be? People hear, "Well, he has strabismus and will have to wear glasses to correct it" and respond with the following sensitivity-challenged comments:
- "Oh, is that all?"
- "Well, I wear glasses, he'll be ok."
- "If that's the worst thing to happen to you consider yourselves lucky."
- (Silence -- this may be the worst of them all, when people ignore your concerns altogether.)
I get that 99% of society doesn't understand strabismus -- we didn't either until a month ago. But making my son wear glasses to correct strabismus (and prevent ambylopia, and prevent blindness...) is not as simple as putting a Band-Aid on a scraped knee.
As the pediatric ophthalmologist has explained, putting glasses on my son is ONE approach to fixing his eyes. It's the very first itty-bitty baby step in a lifelong vision challenge.
Am I being dramatic? Sadly, no. If the glasses don't work, do we move to multiple surgeries? Are people so jaded that they think surgeries themselves aren't a big deal or do they think issues affecting the eyes are not a very big deal?
It's just vision, after all, no need to be dramatic...really, who needs those pesky and overrated skills like depth perception (sarcasm).
This is my kid, and it's his life stretched out ahead of him, and it hurts. People don't mean to be insensitive, but boy, how they act otherwise.
*sigh*
Better replies would include the following:
- "You must be worried, no parent wants anything wrong with their baby."
- "I'm so sorry. I'm always here to listen and offer support."
- "Sounds like this will be a challenge for baby B. What are your biggest worries?"
- "If strabismus affects B's ability to read or play sports, I have faith he will excel in so many other creative and athletic ways!"
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Expensive Strabismus: So $570 Later...
Yesterday's appointment was so stressful and exhausting that we decided to return today to purchase the frames.
Technically *I* picked the frames while he screamed in his stroller and acted highly offended every time the doctor's assistant tried to place the frames on his face.
We chose these Flexon Kids X-Games Edge frames. They look sporty and cool, and apparently the Flexon brand is the most durable for clumsy toddlers.
The frames/prescription fee was $199. Then we added two upgrades:
(Yeah, I probably could have found a cheaper place for glasses but didn't think of that til just now. We might be hitting up Target Optical for frames no. 2, 3, and beyond. Live and learn...)
Add in the price of yesterday's appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist -- $233 -- and we have just spent $570 in two days.
This is definitely going to be an expensive and challenging test of patience for us all. Strabismus sucks, but fingers crossed the glasses -- which arrive in 10 days -- help my boy.
Technically *I* picked the frames while he screamed in his stroller and acted highly offended every time the doctor's assistant tried to place the frames on his face.
We chose these Flexon Kids X-Games Edge frames. They look sporty and cool, and apparently the Flexon brand is the most durable for clumsy toddlers.
- Aspheric Ultra-Thin Lenses. No Coke bottles for our kid...super-thin lenses for an extra $49.
- Transitions Sun-Sensitive Lenses. This makes the eyeglasses transition to sunglasses outside, and since we live in Florida, it seemed like an entirely reasonable way to spend an extra $89.
(Yeah, I probably could have found a cheaper place for glasses but didn't think of that til just now. We might be hitting up Target Optical for frames no. 2, 3, and beyond. Live and learn...)
Add in the price of yesterday's appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist -- $233 -- and we have just spent $570 in two days.
This is definitely going to be an expensive and challenging test of patience for us all. Strabismus sucks, but fingers crossed the glasses -- which arrive in 10 days -- help my boy.
My Toddler Has Accommodative Esotropia, Now What?
Welcome to my blog!
You probably found me because you just found out your child may have strabismus or some other eye condition. Maybe you're scared. It's ok. I am too.
My husband and I took our 21-month-old son to the pediatric ophthalmologist yesterday. The doctor more or less confirmed what a few weeks of research had led us to believe: our son is far-sighted with accommodative esotropia, which is a form of strabismus.
About three weeks ago we noticed our perfect and healthy son had started to exhibit a strange "cross eye" at times. Some days it wasn't there at all, other days it happened off and on all day. His right eye would turn in to his nose, though his left eye was fine. I looked it up online and found out it was probably happening because he was having trouble focusing and the brain was telling his right eye to "shut off" so he wouldn't have double vision.
Although we had believed it was only his right eye that was affected, the doctor yesterday confirmed the strabismus is definitely in both of his eyes.
The doctor prescribed glasses. Which, in the grand scheme of things, is not the end of the world. But hearing that our feisty, determined toddler will have to wear glasses is a wee bit upsetting. How will we get him to wear glasses all day, every day, for the rest of his life?? If your small tot is anything like mine, he will repeatedly rip them off his face, arch his back, kick his legs, and proceed to have a mini-meltdown at the mere idea!
It'll be a struggle for our sweet son. Even if the glasses make his life only 2% more difficult, that's 2% more difficult than he deserves.
Beyond the short-term struggle of getting our toddler to wear his glasses successfully, there is also the long-term worry. It's not just the glasses, if we're being honest. It's about so much more than that, right?
After all, the glasses are literally the first step to correct our son's eye problems. But if the glasses don't fix his intermittent eye-crossing, we may have to step up the approach. That could include patches, vision therapy, and surgery. And from my initial research, it's often multiple surgeries, and the surgical results aren't always 100% effective.
We all want the very best for our children. Glasses, like I said earlier, are certainly not the worst thing to happen to our kids. But it's a crappy reality for our sweet and active tot who likes to run and play and be a rambunctious little boy.
How will wearing glasses affect his energy and vitality and love of life? Will he be teased? Will he be able to jump in the pool or splash at the ocean? Will he be able to play sports? Will he break his glasses? Will he lose them? Will wearing (or not wearing) the glasses affect his ability to learn to read or succeed in school?
Why did I have to pass on sub-par genetics to my child? Was it something I ate (or didn't eat) while pregnant? Am I a terrible mom? Should I have forced more Vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes and carrots down his throat as a baby?
Those are just a few of the questions swirling through my mind this early morning in November...
Have you ever thought your child's poor vision was your fault as a parent? Welcome to the club. I certainly don't know WHY my toddler has been diagnosed with double strabismus and accommodative esotropia, but come hell or high water, I will research as much as possible to ensure he has the best outcomes, best vision, and best shot at complete success throughout his childhood and adulthood.
So that's where we are. I feel like we're on Day 2 of a very long journey ahead. Thanks for reading along in this blog. I hope to be able to share some of my research and help other parents going through this. And if you've ever been through this, please let me know what has worked for your child. I would love to hear your stories!
You probably found me because you just found out your child may have strabismus or some other eye condition. Maybe you're scared. It's ok. I am too.
My husband and I took our 21-month-old son to the pediatric ophthalmologist yesterday. The doctor more or less confirmed what a few weeks of research had led us to believe: our son is far-sighted with accommodative esotropia, which is a form of strabismus.
About three weeks ago we noticed our perfect and healthy son had started to exhibit a strange "cross eye" at times. Some days it wasn't there at all, other days it happened off and on all day. His right eye would turn in to his nose, though his left eye was fine. I looked it up online and found out it was probably happening because he was having trouble focusing and the brain was telling his right eye to "shut off" so he wouldn't have double vision.
Although we had believed it was only his right eye that was affected, the doctor yesterday confirmed the strabismus is definitely in both of his eyes.
The doctor prescribed glasses. Which, in the grand scheme of things, is not the end of the world. But hearing that our feisty, determined toddler will have to wear glasses is a wee bit upsetting. How will we get him to wear glasses all day, every day, for the rest of his life?? If your small tot is anything like mine, he will repeatedly rip them off his face, arch his back, kick his legs, and proceed to have a mini-meltdown at the mere idea!
It'll be a struggle for our sweet son. Even if the glasses make his life only 2% more difficult, that's 2% more difficult than he deserves.
Beyond the short-term struggle of getting our toddler to wear his glasses successfully, there is also the long-term worry. It's not just the glasses, if we're being honest. It's about so much more than that, right?
After all, the glasses are literally the first step to correct our son's eye problems. But if the glasses don't fix his intermittent eye-crossing, we may have to step up the approach. That could include patches, vision therapy, and surgery. And from my initial research, it's often multiple surgeries, and the surgical results aren't always 100% effective.
We all want the very best for our children. Glasses, like I said earlier, are certainly not the worst thing to happen to our kids. But it's a crappy reality for our sweet and active tot who likes to run and play and be a rambunctious little boy.
How will wearing glasses affect his energy and vitality and love of life? Will he be teased? Will he be able to jump in the pool or splash at the ocean? Will he be able to play sports? Will he break his glasses? Will he lose them? Will wearing (or not wearing) the glasses affect his ability to learn to read or succeed in school?
Why did I have to pass on sub-par genetics to my child? Was it something I ate (or didn't eat) while pregnant? Am I a terrible mom? Should I have forced more Vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes and carrots down his throat as a baby?
Those are just a few of the questions swirling through my mind this early morning in November...
Have you ever thought your child's poor vision was your fault as a parent? Welcome to the club. I certainly don't know WHY my toddler has been diagnosed with double strabismus and accommodative esotropia, but come hell or high water, I will research as much as possible to ensure he has the best outcomes, best vision, and best shot at complete success throughout his childhood and adulthood.
So that's where we are. I feel like we're on Day 2 of a very long journey ahead. Thanks for reading along in this blog. I hope to be able to share some of my research and help other parents going through this. And if you've ever been through this, please let me know what has worked for your child. I would love to hear your stories!
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