Karissa's eyes

In October I received a call from my daughter's preschool teacher stating that said teacher felt that Karissa (my three year old) had a lazy eye and she could never remember which eye it was. But asked about what kind of treatment Karissa was getting to correct problem.

WELL, I didn't know Karissa had a "lazy eye" but now was paying much closer attention to her eyes. I now agreed with the teacher and about that time, Caleb came home with a note from the school nurse stating she believes he needs glasses. SO, I go ahead and set up an appointment for all three of my children. At least then I can keep straight when they need to go back. ha, nice try. Caleb gets his glasses and needs to come back in a year. I think. lol. BUT he has a whole different problem that I should explain in a different blog so he has to see an eye surgon in addition to the glasses. Elaine is fine. YAY! Karissa's exam shows that yes, she does have a lazy eye, but the doctor felt that with time it would correct itself and that since it was slight we would just "watch" it. She needs to come back in a year and we will re-evaluate. I left there completly confused. Scared that Caleb needed surgery and that waiting a year for Karissa would NOT be in her best interest. EVERY bit of research that I did showed the earlier you start treatment the better the outcome would be for LONG term. Otherwise, it could result in irreversable damage! My baby is three, she doesn't need to have this for the rest of her life! So I decide that day that I want a second opinion.

Guess what. Our insurance doesn't cover a second opinion. So I call around and get prices for an exam with no insurance. for a three year old. Ouch. Up to $220. Well, that's going to take a minute to come up with. The next thing I know six months goes by and I get another call from the same preschool teacher. She feels Karissa's eye is getting worse and when am I going to address the issue. Damn, I suck as a mom. I tell the teacher I did have it looked at and what that doctor said. She asks my opinion on getting another opinion. I said I was thinking about it. So we end our phone call and I call and set up an appointment for Karissa to get into another location. I've been there and was happy with the results, so let's see what they say.

That appointment was yesterday. This doctor walks in and within a few minutes of looking at her just from a distance while talking to me starts loading me up with information. He starts his exam and I just watch. Upon the conclusion of his exam he tells me that Karissa does NOT have a lazy eye. This is the good news. The bad news is she does have strabismis. This condition is always present with a lazy eye. But you don't always have to have a lazy eye to have this.

Basically, Karissa can see fine out of each eye. However, she does not use her eyes TOGETHER often like a "normal" person would. Each eye drifts periodically. And it's not just ONE eye. She has strabismis in each eye. Which is better than in just one eye, from what I understand. Plus she is slightly far sighted in one eye and near sighted in the other. And this is why the preschool teacher couldn't remember which eye looked lazy. It's because they take turns. lol. Makes even more sense. Wow. I like this doctor. I have answers.

So, My little girl needs glasses for "concentration" times. Since she does not run into walls or fall all the time she doesn't need them all day. Yay, more good news. However, she does need to improve hand eye cordination to "train her brain" to use the eyes together. So 2o minutes a day she needs to play a video game. More specifically a joy stick style video game that has a race track that she can learn to manuver a car or a pac man style game where she has to go around the maze. this will train her brain to make both eyes focus on said object.

I hate video games. Now I have to play with her for 20 minutes each day I have her so that she does not have life long problems. Joy.

Her glasses are ADORABLE though! They are the "bendable" style. So they won't brake as easily. Thank God for that miricle. AND they look just like Mine!!!! It's sooo cute. I think I may go get our pictures taken together with our matching glasses. lol

Karissa will return to this eye doctor again in 3 months and we should see improvement!!! I'm excited that we finally know what it is and how to work with it.

Any and all imput is welcome. I plan to ask about 4 million questions the next time I see the doctor about her. lol