Eyesight issues

[Mr. Bloom]

While I was at IU, I starting going to the Optometry school for my eyes.

Now that's an idea that Silver will seriously consider because YOU suggested it

[Cataboo]

There is a lot of help out there for people with low vision or disabilities - just often the problem is getting plugged into the system or knowing who to ask or where to start. A low vision clinic or contacting your state or county programs is a place to start.... If she's still in high school, call the school system... Public schools are required to provide for children with issues, and they usually have a fairly good program and know where to point you. The lions clubs do a fair amount for low vision/disabled people, so they're another potential contact. The low vision clinic at Hopkins is supported by the Lions clubs and named after them. I know Maryland state runs a low vision drivers education type class on the weekend to help people with low vision that are still qualified to drive drive more safely.

Most people will say that you get better health care going to a teaching facility as a hospital/medical center. Johns Hopkins is number one in most and it's a teaching facility.

There's drawbacks - you don't want to get stuck with the unsupervised first year resident in June right after they start... But they are supposed to be getting proper supervision.

It's useful in that a resident is typically going to give you a far more thorough exam than someone who's been a doctor for years - yes, they are sort of just practicing, but they're also paying close attention and catch things that other doctors might not.

And if you've got an interesting medical history, you end up being show and tell for all the residents in the area, because, yes, they will flock to respectfully gawk at you.... But you also tend to learn and understand a bit more, because when the supervising doctor sees you, they're going to point out things and explain things to the residents... which has the added bonus of keeping you a bit better informed.

And definitely - always get 2nd or 3rd opinions on things like this - because her eyesight is so important to her daily life and some doctors are really going to offer you what they're comfortable with or what they know how to do.... The average opthamologist basically just sees people who need help with their prescription or glaucoma, anything more complicated they probably refer on... So you want to get to the referred on state, to someone that sees lots of people with vision problems and has a bigger quiver to help them.

[Aquila]

I'm a college prof, and I'd like to second Catriona's suggestions for talking to her college instructors and especially to the office of student development (or whatever they call the office where she'll be going). We try to make appropriate accomodations, and I think it's a big help to students. The technology we have available is amazing these days.

Wish her the best, please.

[indysteel]

Now that's an idea that Silver will seriously consider because YOU suggested it

I would strongly urge you to take her there. The problem I found with private doctors in that they often take the easiest route to solving a problem. They almost always start with soft contacts, even though they may not be the best option.

My experience, I think was pretty typical. My eye doctor put me into soft, toric lenses when I was 13 or so. By the time I got to IU at age 19, my eyes were a mess. I hated the torics. They never stayed in place and my eyes were ALWAYS dry. The docs at the optometry school immediately recognized that I was not a good candidate for toric lenses in that the shape of my eye would not hold them into place. They also noted that my eyes were particularly dry. Based on that, they put me into GPs, which I wore incident free for the next 9 or so years.

The only problem I experienced was from a pair of of GPs that were just a bit too steep for my eyes. They were causing my eye to swell and then scrap against my lid when I slept. That's what led to the scratched cornea. Like your daughter, it took a few months for my eye to heal and for my eyesight to stabilize such that they could get me into a new set of contacts. That was about 9 years ago, and I haven't had any other problems since.

The optometry school in Indianapolis has been exceedingly patient and diligent in treating me. They don't really have a profit motive so spending hours with me is not an issue. They seem to understand GP lenses much better, too. While I've had multiple interns over the years, at my request, one doctor has stuck with me and he knows my case history very well. I cannot say enough about them. And did I mention that they're a lot cheaper than a private doctor?

Given what I know (which is admittedly little) about your doctor's history, I see no reason why she won't be able to get a proper prescription prior to going to college. Her cornea should heal in a month or two. With the right pair of gas permeable lenses, she will likely see better than 20/20. From there, she really needs to keep her glasses prescription up-to-date (in case she ever had any other problem that prevents her from wearing her glasses) and to go to the eye doctor for a checkup once a year. Her eyesight will likely continue to change and worsen--if it's anything like mine.

By the way, a lot of people are under the impression that GP lenses aren't as comfortable as soft. That has absolutely not been my experience. Any contact will make your eyes feel dry and tired if you wear them all day and night and/or work at a computer all the time. It's important to use rewetting drops and to take them out so that your eyes can rest. Also, you absolutely cannot sleep in GPs. They can be a bit fussy if you get something in your eye, but it's easy to deal with. I've lost only one lens in 20 years of wearing them (ironically during a bike ride when I tried to wipe some sweat out of my eyes). All and all, I'd say they're very user friendly.

So, don't despair......

[msincredible]

By the way, a lot of people are under the impression that GP lenses aren't as comfortable as soft. That has absolutely not been my experience. Any contact will make your eyes feel dry and tired if you wear them all day and night and/or work at a computer all the time. It's important to use rewetting drops and to take them out so that your eyes can rest. Also, you absolutely cannot sleep in GPs. They can be a bit fussy if you get something in your eye, but it's easy to deal with. I've lost only one lens in 20 years of wearing them (ironically during a bike ride when I tried to wipe some sweat out of my eyes). All and all, I'd say they're very user friendly.

I completely agree.

I started with GP lenses, wore them for 20 years.

When I was getting ready for Lasik surgery, my optometrist had to temporarily switch me to soft lenses for three months. I found I really much preferred the GP lenses, and even glasses, to the soft lenses. I would not choose to use soft lenses again.

In the 20 years I've lost one pair (in a pool, being stupid) and one other single lens, wiping my eye as well.

[tulip]

I have only one good eye, and I'm very, very careful about protecting the vision that I have.

Is there a good reason, other than vanity, that she cannot wear glasses? If vision is at stake, there is no reason to risk further damage by wearing contacts.

I go to the Duke Eye Center, but I used to go to the Wilmer Eye Center at Johns Hopkins. Both are the best in the country, if not the world. Duke is closer to me now, so that's why I switched.

I wear glasses. I do not wear contacts because I just cannot risk injury to my good eye. I have six pairs of really cool glasses, including two pairs of prescription sunglasses. By all accounts, I am no less cool or beautiful because I wear glasses . In fact, I think I give the impression of being smarter (as well as gorgeous) with my glasses on . I even have some titanium rimless glasses that I call my glamour glasses for events that call for glamour. Not so many such events, but still, they are nice to have.

I lost vision in my eye when I was a senior in high school, so I've been dealing with this for a while.

Please, Silvers, consider glasses. If Silver Daughter's eyes are at risk of being injured, glasses are really the only alternative, and they are a good alternative. They also protect they eyes from things like bouncing pebbles and stray branches.

[Grog]

Is there a good reason, other than vanity, that she cannot wear glasses? If vision is at stake, there is no reason to risk further damage by wearing contacts.

I'm with you in really wanting to protect my eyes (although I still have both).

I don't know what your prescription is. Mine is pretty bad, but not quite as bad as Silver Daughter (mine is more like -7.5). However, unless I wear really big glasses, my field of vision is really impaired if I wear glasses compared to wearing contact lenses. I need to turn my head down all the time (to know what's on my plate when I eat, for example) and nearly trip on stairs many times. Maybe I'm a bit impaired in other ways And glasses that are big enough to cover more of my field of vision are quite heavy, even if they are of the "thin" type.

In fact, sometimes I'd like to wear my glasses - I also find that I look classy and smart in them - but it's not worth the risk (tripping) for me.

I can understand that she'd hope for a solution to her contact problem... (Hopefully the others' advice will help here.)

[Mr. Bloom]

Is there a good reason, other than vanity, that she cannot wear glasses? If vision is at stake, there is no reason to risk further damage by wearing contacts.

In my opinion, while there may be other factors, it's mostly vanity. She's a -10...and that's bullet proof glass in thickness!

But then, I've never been an 18 year old girl...so I can't fully understand her perspective.

I can't wear contacts due to allergies and dry eyes...and I never saw clearly with them. I refuse surgery because I'm corrected to 20/15...and unless surgery could get me there...I'd be worse off.

[soprano]

I'm a lurker, but thought I'd weigh in since it sounds like your daughter and I share similar vision. My current prescription is -10 in my left eye, and -11.5 in the right eye, with a fun prismatic correction (for double vision/diplopia) that really boggles my friends when they look through my lenses So yep, I've got the dorky "coke-bottle" lenses.

I wore contacts for many years and really liked them. However, last year I developed double vision, accompanied by serious headaches, so I needed to switch to glasses. (According to my optometrist, you cannot correct for diplopia with contacts.) My headaches cleared up instantly and I was amazed at how sharp my vision suddenly was. I'm slowly making peace with my glasses. I hate having them on my face, I hate the amount of distortion I have to deal with, and the loss of peripheral vision was scary at first, particularly because I ride through some heavy traffic areas on a daily basis. My mirror was suddenly useless, which was particularly troublesome. After about 8 or 10 weeks, however, I somehow got better at making things out through the lens distortion and even outside of my lenses, and I feel much safer both on my bike and when I need to drive. I'm back to relying on my mirror, and my overall depth perception has greatly improved (with contacts my depth perception was generally unreliable).

A -10 correction really isn't all that severe and to my knowledge is not in the low-vision range. I have never, ever needed to ask for help at school. If she's having lots of trouble with schoolwork, definitely get her a second opinion and see about some better lenses, because improperly made lenses are hell. I have zero trouble reading the computer screen or seeing projection images, and believe it or not I make lace as a hobby. My husband and I purchased a larger TV a few years ago with my vision in mind, but at 32" it's still smaller than what most of our friends have. I *need* good light for reading, lacemaking and other close work, but that's nothing that a really good task lamp couldn't fix. (BTW I do much better with halogen than Ott-Lites or other "full-spectrum" compact florescents. It's a really individual thing.)

I second the recommendation for the IU optometry school; my husband used to go there. Be prepared to shell out for some good glasses lenses, because you will get what you pay for. My current lens prescription ran me $220 *without* new frames. This year I want some new, more fashionable frames (mine are a bit outdated, but cash was short last summer) and plan to spend between $400-$600. Every optometrist and optician I've ever been to has automatically put me in high-index lenses (the thinnest ones) which cut down on the weight and coke-bottle effect, but it's good to check. Even though it's more expensive, get the lenses at the eye doctor's office and not the mall store. The folks who grind the lenses for the mall shops aren't used to dealing with high-strength prescriptions and can really screw it up.

You've probably already done it and I don't want to scare you, but just to make sure that you're aware: Severe myopia can be a "red flag" for other medical conditions, even if it has developed very slowly and the eyes are otherwise healthy. Make sure that her regular doctor knows about it.