Eliza went last night to the optometrist to have her eyes checked. She got glasses a little over a year ago, and was squinting again, ALL the time.
Took her in and found out that her eyesight has gone from -1.75 in each eye to -3.5. Poor little girl! She was SO upset by the pressure test in her eyes (blowing air into them?) and actually yelled in the office, "I hate the eye doctor". She had had a rough day at school (a boy had gotten on her last nerve) and it just made it worse to have to go have her eyes checked.
So...since I've got really NO experience with eye issues:
At what age did you start wearing contacts, if ever?
What is your prescription? Is -3.5 extremely bad eyesight? (I know it's not as bad as James' eyes...)
How did you manage glasses and sports?
Any horror stories form wearing glasses? (I just want to brace myself for the future if needs be...)
Anything else I should know?
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13 comments:
well- my eye sight is -3.5, and it's not tooo terrible. I can't see without glasses or contacts except for up close. I started wearing glasses when I was in first or second grade I think. I got contacts in 4th or 5th grade. I don't have any bad memories of them... I feel for Eliza though brcause eye sight is degenerative and only gets worse- so who knows how bad it'll be by the time she's my age...Good thing theres lasiks- maybe when she's older it'll be cheap and she can get that!
Tell Eliza it's not so bad. When Jeff was her age he wished he wore glasses. He thought they looked very cool. I personally think Eliza looks very cute in glasses.
I don't wear glasses or contacts, and I don't know when you start wearing contacts...sorry. My sister Kelli wears glasses/contacts and she played soccer all through high school and college and now coaches soccer and wears contacts when she plays, so I would say you can wear them to play sports.
oops- I realize my eyes are only -2.50 Sorry- I think 3.50 is probably LOTS worse... but I'm not totally sure. POOR girl!
i don't wear glasses, however i worked as an optical tech through college. i taught a good number of people how to use and care for contacts as well as fit them for glasses. glasses are so cute now-a-days i wish that i needed them!!
-3.5 isn't too bad. the issue i'd be worried about is that it changed so quickly. i'd have her checked sooner than a year b/c of that.
the youngest patient i taught to wear contacts was around 10 i think. there is really no problem with starting young as long as the child is responsible, as i know eliza is.
also, contacts are much better looking and more affordable than the prescription goggles which are the alternative for sports.
finally, sarah brought up lasiks. this is an option that should be considered has she gets older. if elizas eyes continue to worsen rapidly this surgery could be life changing. it's fast, easy, relitivly inexpensive, and recovery time is one day. the youngest patient i saw that had lasiks was in high school.
oh, and let eliza know that everyone hates that stupid machine that blows air!!! she was born at a good time to have less than perfect eye sight, lots of options! good luck.
I know how it is to have your eyes change rapidly. My right eye is
-2.75 and my left eye is -1.75 w/astigmatism. My right eye is pretty much useless without glasses. I didn't start wearing them regularly until I was about 15. I didn't wear contacts until the last year. (Sam likes to grab them and laugh. Plus, he's always bonking his heavy noggin towards my nose. OUCH!)
I think that Eliza will be so cute in glasses. But for sports, I would feel so silly wearing goggles. I would try contacts. I don't wear my contacts everyday. She could easily go back and forth, I think once she got used to the contacts. Plus, like Alisha said, Eliza is more than responsible. She can handle it.
Tell Eliza that boys are dumb sometimes, and that they really do come from another planet, I swear!
oh yeah, I forgot, I did wear glasses for a little while in college. My eyes weren't/aren't very bad...I think it was a combination of not enough sleep, sitting too far back in classrooms, and going back and forth looking at my notes and then the board in class.
I don't wear them now, I probably should go to the doctor, cause sometimes I catch myself squinting, but I didn't really like them either--too uncomfortable and a pain (shhh, don't tell Eliza).
Thanks for all the advice. I think we'll go for contacts in a few more years. For now, basketball and swimming and tennis will just be a little uncomfortable.
(I'm realizing now that it's even more amazing that Eliza loves basketball--she can't even see much down the court!)
BTW...the boy incident is worth sharing! A little boy had been bothering Eliza all year, getting in her face and touching her hair, etc. She had just 'had it' as she told her teacher when he wrote on his hand "I love you" and was sticking it in her face. She burst into tears and had to go to the nurse's office to calm down. So...it really had been a rough day for her.
And this is even more evidence that Eliza is my child. I could never handle boys in elementary school. If they called I hung up on them and when they called back, I'd have my Dad answer it and tell the boy to leave me alone. LOL...
The stores have really cute eyeglasses for kids. Eliza can wear glasses on the court just need to get the elastic jobbers(That is what Sherri calls it). James got his contacts when he was 12.
By then James was really responsible and Eliza has him beat!!!Besides the Doc said that they(contacts)would help James' eyes.
LOL, about the boy. I remember those days too well. In 1st grade Jesse Horton used to chase me around the playground and try to kiss me. There's always that one boy that makes you want to scream.
Are we talking'boys'now? ho can ever forget KImball Clausen who used to chase me as I jumped over the desks in the classroom to kiss me. eek!!!ZI guess it is a never-ending-story.
I HATE this new version of posting! You have to sign in everytime you want to post something!
Some eyes get better with age and if you do eye exercises, but it really depends on your problem, too.Eliza would love BB more,I think, if she could see-its possible--but it is her choice. She only has to wait for a couple of yearsfor contacts.
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