Sorry no pictures. John has yet again snatched my camera batteries for his models. Grrr. But thought I'd better let everyone know what's going on with John.
We took John and Joan to the optometrist for a check-up. Joan is doing fine. Her glasses aren't perfect for far away, but he says they're within the acceptable range, and she just goofs off, so it's hard for him to tell what she's really seeing.
John, however, is a whole other story. Sigh. Turns out, his glasses aren't actually working at all! He can barely make out the big E even with his glasses on, if his stronger eye is covered. He did a few other tests, and determined that the eye we thought was lazy, but were told wasn't, in fact was - and still is. His brain is quickly shutting it down, so now we have a very small window to save it. We have to do a very aggressive patching regimine - he has to have it on every moment he's not as school. And he's only allowed to have it off for school for safety reasons. The weak eye is just barely above the threshold of legal blindness right now, so he's worried about him getting hurt on the schoolyard, and falling behind in school.
The first day was rough, to put it mildly. He spent most of it in tears. He's shockingly blind. He was stumbling all over. He would try to pick something up, and have to feel around for it. Things looked bleak. But now, just a couple days later, he's functioning very well with just one eye, and he's very excited by his progress! He even puts the patch on himself, and wants to be a pirate for Halloween, so he can wear it at school! We were told to do lots of reading and drawing, and he's getting so much better at both. Today, he just drew a very intricate drawing with little letters and lots of fine detail. He can read books, and pick up small objects without feeling around for them. We're going to get him a book of puzzles too - mazes and connect the dots - that kind of thing. Hopefully, we're not too late to save that eye. It's mild enough that it's been missed all this time - but severe enough that his brain is disregarding the entire eye. We have to go back in three weeks so he can monitor the progress. I'm not sure how long we'll have to do this, but he's co-operating, so it can probably go on for a while without him getting upset. We told him the alternative, which has helped - if he refuses to wear a patch, the doc will put drops in his good eye that will blind it temporarily! Yikes!
Anyway, that's it in a nutshell. Wish him luck! He's going to need it. And if you have any ideas for "visually intensive activities", pass 'em on!
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8 comments:
Has he suggested an opthamologist?
An eye specialist that's got more training than an optometrist. We went to one when we were kids and he did put drops in eyes. Glad to hear he's progressing. Mom
Have you seen those puzzles that have a famous landmark or whatever, buried in a design? You can only see the hidden design if you focus a certain way. Don't know what they're called! Big help, huh? Mom
We'll see what he says at the check-up. I thought an opthamologist might be a good move, too. I know the puzzles you mean, but I can't see them - I can't expect him to! We found a few of the exercises they do for older kids and adults, and have tried them,but he doesn't understand what he's being asked to do. Apparently, at this age, patching is the most effective. But it is a little disconcerting just after he takes it off at night and both eyes are moving independently for the first few minutes! Hopefully it all works out ok.
Megan
I've always gone to an opthamologist as that's what Mom wanted. In grade 9 I started wearing glasses & my friend Madeline saw a local optomotrist, who gave her glasses. She wore them till she went into nursing school only to find out she didn't need glasses.
I've had catarat surgery on both eyes & now my Doc sees me once a yr, doesn't give prescriptions for glasses but recommends an optomatrist. That tells me that the doc is still the best & it is probably very hard to get into one in PG as it is in T.Bay.
We'll see after the next checkup, poor John one thing after another.
Gram
Grannie view. Calgary. Winter olympics. John found a white broom handle outside. A Treasure.Paper & red marker out & he had a Can. flag in seconds - taped it to the white pole. He proudly stuck it in the snow, as if he had reached the summit of a mountain. Then, inside, he became official flag bearer, marching through the house singing "Oh Canada" John made Joan a smaller flag - pipe cleaner handle - and she stepped in behind, singing as only Joan can, 'land...' ... love....c'mand' Round and round the house.
To continue: We laughed and laughed at these two. Everything was nearly packed for the move to Kelowna. But John's craft stuff had been left out to keep him busy. He whipped up flags for everyone and the white broom handle flag was the last thing that was put on the moving truck. This is a very patriotic guy!
Same move. Cleaning out top freezer in fridge. Pulled out an opened bag of frozen peas and darn! If the peas didn't spill all across the kitchen floor! (I was expecting a twist tie!) Broom & dustpan out, I started to pick them up - but got screams of protest from David who was frantically grabbing them up & eating them as fast as his little hands would let him. Turned out frozen frozen peas were as popular as ice cream at the Walchuk's
Same Calgary-Kelowna move. We did up a ton of laundry - mainly to get the new baby clothes washed & sorted before the move as Tom was due in a matter of weeks. Spare socks. No matches. A laundry basket full of them! Left them out in case we found matches in the next load. John & Joan up early next am ..found the basket of odd socks and started a race - who could get the most socks on. Baby socks on bigger feet. On top of 10,12, 14 socks. Racing for the next one again & again. They were laughing away - and Joan did great, too! She got several socks on, even with a weak hand! Never did find matches, just put together by colour. Apparently they stretch to fit.
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