I just got the diagnosis

amother

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 7:46 pm

My DS is 17 months and started Last thursday to have episodes when he was crossed eyed (stabismus).
I just came back from the optometrist
Severe Hypertrophism +7.25dp in one eye and +6dp in the other.
in a nutshell he does not see clearly
He will have to wear glasses right away and for the rest of his life C'V'S'
It's such a shocker.
I really thought that a few months of optical exercises/glasses/ patch would do the trick
But noooooo never so easy for us, always something more.

Maybe a lot of you will not understand this but for me it is a big deal, he will have those "magnifying" lenses so he will look like a "fish" until the age of 13 or so when he will be able to try contact lenses and wear them if he tolerates them.

He will be the "funny looking boy", "the fish", "4 eyes", etc

I cannot stop crying.
Sobbing would be more appropriate

I need Chizuk

Anybody out there with similar stories?

Anything will help. any good story,. really

marina

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 7:52 pm

I don't think this will help but I always loved the way those kids looked, I thought they were so adorable with their cute glasses. I even wanted my kids to have glasses when they were little, strange as that may sound.

I really thought this thread would be about something worse.

girlygirl

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 7:58 pm

my niece has a similar problem and what's great is that there are so many fun styles of glasses out there with thicker frames. Also, a good optometrist can thin the lens as much as possible to not make it so obvious-the downside? it's kind of expensive to do that. the magnifying lens was slightly more obvious when she was little but she is ten now, and wears such cool glasses that she often gets compliments from adults! we made her a big round "smiley-face" cake with glasses in icing around the eyes to "celebrate" her transition when she first got the diagnosis-after the patches, after the surgeries, etc. It absolutely is hard for a mother to watch her child just not have it easy but he'll fit in just fine in his own time.

mominlkwd

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 7:58 pm

I am so sorry you got this upsetting news. My son was diagnosed with a similar eye condition about 1 year ago. he is 8 now. He has to wear glasses for the rest of his life as well as patching. He is basically blind in 1 eye but I"YH he will get better the more we patch. We are at the dr. every 3 months checking on it and he is slowly getting better but he will always wear glasses where 1 eye looks bigger than the other.
We spent a lot of money buying the thinner glasses instead of the regular thick frames just so that he has less of the fishbowl look, and he complains constantly about the patching. However I will tell you that it's harder on me than him. He calls himself 4 eyes (3 eyes when he patches) and he finds his glasses annoying but not traumatizing. I on the other hand am always blaming myself that I should have caught it earlier because it might have made a difference.
I know my situation is not the same as yours but I wanted to let you know that it does get easier as time goes on. I happen to think my son looks really cute in glasses.
Hatzlocha, I hope it goes well for your son. Just don't let him know it bothers you or he'll get a complex. I only tell him how adorable glasses are on him.

amother

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:00 pm

I would strongly suggest with a serious diagnosis like this to see a pediatric opthamologist, not only an optometrist. I'm not saying the optometrist is wrong, but opthamologists have more medical expertise, and obviously a pediatric opthamologist would be best for a child.

Many children have glasses. My husband had to have many surgeries, wear a patch as a young child (ie. aroudn 2y rs old). He still needs glasses, but they are not so strong--not like my prescription! Also, he was always very athletic and had lots of friends.

Things like these can be helped rather easily in children. It would be much harder if it wasn't diagnosed cv"s until older. And glasses these days for very young children are made so that the child can still run about, etc. Also, if he is out at a play group or will be in nursery school soon, little little kids BH get over differences likes this so easily.

I also got glasses, but not so young, at 10. I got contacts at 14. Honestly, most people I know need some form of corrective lenses or other.

manhattanmom

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:06 pm

See a pediatric ophthalmologist NOT an optometrist for a child. And poor eyesight (with a diagnosis) is something that will have to be monitored several times a year.
If you live in NY I have some recommendations for you.
If you live elsewhere I could probably get some recommendations for you too as I am in touch with professionals in vision related services across the country (and Canada too)

Little kids are adorable in glasses, by the way. There are also glasses that are fitted better for kids and different styles/adaptations that help the glasses stay on.

And ones that magnify the eyes are sweet (seriously)! I know lots of parents of kids (and kids themselves) who have been wearing thick glasses their whole lives and they're quite thankful that with the glasses they have perfect or almost perfect vision.

chaylizi

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:38 pm

opthamologists are very good for medical issues. if a child has an eye muscle weakness though, an optometrist who provides vision therapy is much better. opthomologists think it is total bunk, but a lot of problems can be connected with poor eye muscles. some kids get diagnosed with behavioral problems instead of getting what they need. Just saying.

manhattanmom

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:43 pm

chaylizi wrote:

for sure.
but in general, an opthalmogist will give a much more thorough exam and that should be taken into consideration.
I've taught quite a number of kids who had muscle weaknesses, etc. and other medical issues that were detected by an opthalmologist....
Yes, go to an optometrist for vision therapy when he gets older...But definitely see both.
(If you're in NY-- SUNY Optometry on 42nd street has a wonderful vision therapy center.)

BrachaC

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:46 pm

My oldest dd- she is now 9 started going to the eye doctor when she was about 15 months old. At two (4 eye doctors later) she started wearing glasses. We spent the extra money and always bought glasses that we really liked and thought made her look cute!! For the last couple years we bought really trendy glasses and she was the envy of all her classmates...this year bH we went to a new eye doctor (pediatric opthamologist) because we moved to a new city and he decided she didn't need glasses anymore! In the beginning I did feel overwhelmed by the diagnosis and she did have a lot of difficulty learning to read, but bH we have come very far and it was a good lesson to learn early- our children are not perfect and their issues do not reflect on our parenting...

mominlkwd

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 8:51 pm

manhattanmom wrote:

chaylizi wrote:

I second that. our first dr was great but we went to a ped. opthamologist for a second opinion and he had a TOTALLY different diagnosis. He specializes in cases like these so he sees them 10 times a day as opposed to a regular dr. who sees these cases once a year. also my son enjoys going to him because he has a room full of toys and he is funny and plays games with them etc.

greeneyes

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:11 pm

My daughter was also crossing her eyes at about age 1 1/2, and we were told by the pediatric opthamologist that she'll need to wear glasses for at least the next 10 years.

I really relate to what you wrote, OP, because I also had a really hard time adjusting to the news. I didn't want her to be the funny looking kid. I cried and cried about it. She is now 2 1/2, so she's had glasses for about a year now. It didn't take too long before I got used to the idea, and in fact I love her glasses & think they make her look so much cuter. I can't tell you how many comments she gets from strangers like "awww, look at that cute baby with glasses." The glasses add a lot of character and charm. She loves wearing her glasses. There are really lots of cute ones to choose from.

HUGS!!! I know it is difficult to adjust to the whole idea.

twentyone

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:13 pm

I don't know what the diagnosis u described is but my husband has glasses from when he is a kid I don't know an age, but his number keeps going up, its over 1000 now, when he takes it off he doesn't see a thing and his eyes get crossed eyes, I don't know if this is a solution for u, but my husband pays a lot of money to make the glasses as thin as possible and he looks great u can't even see that he has such a high number! so if this is a solution I think u should definently look into it! good luck!!

amother

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:14 pm

Op here.

Thank you for your support.

I am well aware that it is not the end of the world and it could be worse.
When it happens to you it is an another ball game.

For the one who suggested to see a pediatric ophtalmologist our optometrist wants a second opinion, so she is referring us to a specialist.

I do live in Montreal Canada. To see an ophtalmologist here takes between 6 months and a year so you can really have a deterioration of the condition in the meanwhile!
If anybody knows any pediatric ophtalmologist here pleas let me know.

+7.25 dp and +6 dp these lenses are going to give a quite "froggy eyes" look no?

My husband is taking this hard too.
Our son felt that something was wrong and cried a lot more tonight.

Can somebody explains me something:
How come it took almost a year and a half before he started to show signs ie strabismus?
If we would have waited more would it have been worst?

Thank you again I really need Chizuk

greeneyes

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:15 pm

One more piece of advice: make sure to get glasses with some sort of warranty. My daughter had a hard time adjusting to wearing them, & she would yank them off, throw them on the floor, etc. & they broke after a week and a half. We've had to replace the frames several times since.

amother

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:22 pm

greeneyes wrote:

Op here again.
.
You might think that it is a "stupid" question but isn't there less choice for a baby boy than a baby girl for frames? You are right I saw plenty of cute baby girls with glasses but very little cute baby boys with glasses.What do you think?
If you disagree, can you refer me to brands. MAybe I can check them out online. Thank you

mominlkwd

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:24 pm

amother wrote:

Where I'm from it also takes months to get into a good ped. opthomologist, I called to make an appointment fully expecting to wait that long for an appt. They put me in the following week, when I told her how suprised I was to get in so quick she told me " When it's this serious we get you in as soon as we can" so you should always call and give them your prescription over the phone when you make the appt.

Also, be proud of yourself that you caught it early on. My son will always need glasses because we caught it so late, that is something I still beat myself up about. B"H it's only glasses and not Chas V'Shalom something worse

chaylizi

Mon, Feb 08 2010, 9:25 pm

Also my prescription is extremely high, getting close to legally blind. There is no reflective problem with my lenses & they look basically just like everyone elses. My only restrictions are that I can't wear rimless or unusually shaped glasses (hexagonal or others), because it won't support the cut of the lenses. No one can tell that I have a high prescription though & my glasses make a huge difference. I guess it's a CH"V to have to wear glasses your whole life, but I think it's a chaval to think that way. I am so grateful for my perfect sight & couldn't imagine living way back when & not be able to see.