We just got back from our 3 month update. My son is now @ 20/25 in his Amblyopia eye. So excited. The PO say's it is rare to see that amount of improvement in the short amount of time and she is extremely happy with his progress. She asked what we did.
I told her that after the 1st 2 days of patching my son didn't fight me. We patched for the full 6 hours every day (with the exception of the last week, where we did 4 hours). My son also wears his glasses from the moment he wakes up until he goes to bed at night.
She now wants us to patch 2-4 hours a day and we follow up with her in 3 months.
Just to refresh my son is 7 1/2 and has astigmatism in his L eye and perfect 20/20 in his R eye. He started at 20/100 (officially) in his L eye. Some of the vision tests he was 20/200.
His depth perception isn't affected at all which is also really good for someone with Amblyopia (so I have been told.)
I just wanted to share the good news for anyone else who might have a child with Amblyopia, that even at older ages it can improve and is not hopeless as previously thought.
Oh on another note, about a month ago I found out from my mother in-law that it was either my husband or his brother who also had Amblyopia as a young child (3 years) and had to do patch therapy. I think it might have been my brother-in-law because my husband say's he doesn't ever remember wearing a patch and didn't start wearing glasses till he was 13.
Another reason why it is important to know the family history of both parents.
I will post more status updates as I get them. Good luck to all parents and those who are currently treating or have treated Amblyopia. Always keep positive thoughts and prayers with whatever religion/spiritual belief you have. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. More people that know about Amblyopia more children can get the early treatment to successfully regain their vision.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Glasses Came In
My son's glasses finally came in yesterday. When we went to go pick them up the second he put them on my son exclaimed "It's so clear mom, it's no longer blurry". He was so happy. The tech had trouble trying to make sure the fit was right because he was looking all over the place. It was like he was taking everything in for the first time. Well I guess that he was, the first time that his vision wasn't dim and blurry.
He has made progress with the patching. This past week he has been telling me that everything is blurry (I guess the brain is now recognizing his left eye. I am so happy that I really can't explain. I'm so thankful for the progress that we are seeing at home and how quick his vision is improving. I just hope that when we go back for his follow up in August that the doctor's confirm the progress we are seeing at home.
He has made progress with the patching. This past week he has been telling me that everything is blurry (I guess the brain is now recognizing his left eye. I am so happy that I really can't explain. I'm so thankful for the progress that we are seeing at home and how quick his vision is improving. I just hope that when we go back for his follow up in August that the doctor's confirm the progress we are seeing at home.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
First day of school with the patch
We have been patching since Friday. We are supposed to do 4-6 hours (I wish they would give me a specific time frame but...). On Friday my son cried for 3 1/2 hours. He was so mad at me. My son is very spoiled and is used to getting what he wants to his cries were just him hoping I'd give in.
Sat through today we have been doing good. My son gets up and brings a new patch to be put on. He tries to put it on himself. I double check to make sure it is completely covered.
So this morning when I dropped him off I talked to his teacher (I kept him home on Friday and I left her a message.) She is seems very supportive. She told me that she already spoke with the class to talk about my son being patched and has told him that if any of the kids make fun of him for him to come to her.
Until next time....
Sat through today we have been doing good. My son gets up and brings a new patch to be put on. He tries to put it on himself. I double check to make sure it is completely covered.
So this morning when I dropped him off I talked to his teacher (I kept him home on Friday and I left her a message.) She is seems very supportive. She told me that she already spoke with the class to talk about my son being patched and has told him that if any of the kids make fun of him for him to come to her.
Until next time....
Friday, May 27, 2011
Just Diagnosed with Amblyopia "Lazy Eye" the emotions....
I shared all of the facts, here is the emotions behind the diagnosis.
Yesterday was a day of tears. I look at my son and he is your typical boy. He might even have too much testosterone in him. He is the Alpha Male of my home. He is very popular. Kids just flock to him. He loves to play soccer, ride his skateboard, ride his bike. He like to play zombies with the nerf guns in the front yard. He loves monster trucks and has a huge collection in his room. He is also my momma's boy.
The doctor tells me that she is positive that the patch therapy will fix his lazy eye. Me being the research junkie I am start googling everything I can find. What I find is that typically earlier you are diagnosed with Amblyopia the better (oh wow, I typed amblyopia wrong in my page title. I have a minor case of dyslexia I hope I can fix that.) I have also read on different message boards that patch therapy is a hit or miss. That some people it get's better and with other's even kids who start the patching at a young age (3 yo) are still patching 5 years later with miminal results.
That is so scary to think that your son might be considered legally blind and from what the doctor tells me won't be allowed to drive as an adult based on how his vision is now. (My son wants to own his own monster truck one day and race it.)
I know he is smart and picks up things so quickly. He learned to ride his bike in 10 minutes. I'm serious he got his bike his brother held the back of the seat to get him going and then he was off riding like his older brothers (trying tricks, skidding out etc). I am hoping that how quick his brain absorbs things around him that with the patch therapy and glasses his brain turns back on the signals from his left eye.
My husband's emotions are different. He was going through stages of denial. Telling me that our son can't be blind or "legally blind" that he has to be able to see out of his left eye because he can tell how many fingers he hold up from a couple of feet away when he covers his right eye. That our son shows no signs of vision problems.
I have read that most kids are diagnosed when they are 2-3 years old. What I have read doesn't state if it is for the "cross eyed or out turned eyed" for lazy eye or like my son's that his eyes are perfectly aligned. I took my son to every scheduled visit to the pediatrician. Not once did they do any eye test's to check for astigmatism (which led to my son's lazy eye). Not once did they do those tests. My older son's didn't have any preschool or toddler eye exams either. My oldest is going to be 15 in a couple months. He had his first eye exam when he turned 5. Same for my middle son.
How are these problems caught early if the doctors don't test early? That is another part of my emotion, that it's my fault. If I had known about this potential problem I could have asked my son's doctors when he was a toddler to check his eyes. I could have gotten him glasses as an toddler and could have prevented his Amblyopia.
I'm so frustrated. I need to be strong for my son and think positive.
I'm sorry if my thoughts are all over the place here.
Yesterday was a day of tears. I look at my son and he is your typical boy. He might even have too much testosterone in him. He is the Alpha Male of my home. He is very popular. Kids just flock to him. He loves to play soccer, ride his skateboard, ride his bike. He like to play zombies with the nerf guns in the front yard. He loves monster trucks and has a huge collection in his room. He is also my momma's boy.
The doctor tells me that she is positive that the patch therapy will fix his lazy eye. Me being the research junkie I am start googling everything I can find. What I find is that typically earlier you are diagnosed with Amblyopia the better (oh wow, I typed amblyopia wrong in my page title. I have a minor case of dyslexia I hope I can fix that.) I have also read on different message boards that patch therapy is a hit or miss. That some people it get's better and with other's even kids who start the patching at a young age (3 yo) are still patching 5 years later with miminal results.
That is so scary to think that your son might be considered legally blind and from what the doctor tells me won't be allowed to drive as an adult based on how his vision is now. (My son wants to own his own monster truck one day and race it.)
I know he is smart and picks up things so quickly. He learned to ride his bike in 10 minutes. I'm serious he got his bike his brother held the back of the seat to get him going and then he was off riding like his older brothers (trying tricks, skidding out etc). I am hoping that how quick his brain absorbs things around him that with the patch therapy and glasses his brain turns back on the signals from his left eye.
My husband's emotions are different. He was going through stages of denial. Telling me that our son can't be blind or "legally blind" that he has to be able to see out of his left eye because he can tell how many fingers he hold up from a couple of feet away when he covers his right eye. That our son shows no signs of vision problems.
I have read that most kids are diagnosed when they are 2-3 years old. What I have read doesn't state if it is for the "cross eyed or out turned eyed" for lazy eye or like my son's that his eyes are perfectly aligned. I took my son to every scheduled visit to the pediatrician. Not once did they do any eye test's to check for astigmatism (which led to my son's lazy eye). Not once did they do those tests. My older son's didn't have any preschool or toddler eye exams either. My oldest is going to be 15 in a couple months. He had his first eye exam when he turned 5. Same for my middle son.
How are these problems caught early if the doctors don't test early? That is another part of my emotion, that it's my fault. If I had known about this potential problem I could have asked my son's doctors when he was a toddler to check his eyes. I could have gotten him glasses as an toddler and could have prevented his Amblyopia.
I'm so frustrated. I need to be strong for my son and think positive.
I'm sorry if my thoughts are all over the place here.
Just diagnosed with Amblyopia "Lazy Eye"..the facts
My youngest son is 7.5 years old. Last Friday he had a routine vision test at school. I received the results on Monday. R 20/30 L 20/60. I took him to the doctor on Wednesday the test there showed R 20/25 L at first it was 20/200 then he was able to read the top line so the final results were 20/70.
I received a referral to the Vision Center. My son was telling me that if we cover up his right eye everything looks black but he was still able to see a little bit. (I wish I could get in his head and see exactly what he see's.)
Thursday (yesterday) we go to the Vision Center and they do a complete work up on his eyes.
His Right eye is officially 20/20 perfect shaped. His Left eye has a astigmatism. The doctor say's it most likely has been that way since birth. But because of the astigmatism in his Left eye he has developed Ambloypia. A "lazy eye". That his brain has suppressed the signals in his left eye and that is why he see's "black" as my son describes it when we cover up his right eye. His brain is barely listening to the signals sent out by his left eye.
The doctor told me as his vision stands right now if he was old enough to get a driver's license he would be denied due to his vision. My son's eyes are not cross eye'd and I feel so bad that I didn't know. The doctor told me that he has an invisible lazy eye and that it would have only been caught with a full eye exam like he had.
Today we start patch therapy. I am to cover up his Right eye 4-6 hours a day to force my son's brain to accept the signals from his Left eye. I also dropped off a prescription for glasses that will work on the astigmatism in his left eye. It will take 1-2 weeks for the glasses to be ready.
I received a referral to the Vision Center. My son was telling me that if we cover up his right eye everything looks black but he was still able to see a little bit. (I wish I could get in his head and see exactly what he see's.)
Thursday (yesterday) we go to the Vision Center and they do a complete work up on his eyes.
His Right eye is officially 20/20 perfect shaped. His Left eye has a astigmatism. The doctor say's it most likely has been that way since birth. But because of the astigmatism in his Left eye he has developed Ambloypia. A "lazy eye". That his brain has suppressed the signals in his left eye and that is why he see's "black" as my son describes it when we cover up his right eye. His brain is barely listening to the signals sent out by his left eye.
The doctor told me as his vision stands right now if he was old enough to get a driver's license he would be denied due to his vision. My son's eyes are not cross eye'd and I feel so bad that I didn't know. The doctor told me that he has an invisible lazy eye and that it would have only been caught with a full eye exam like he had.
Today we start patch therapy. I am to cover up his Right eye 4-6 hours a day to force my son's brain to accept the signals from his Left eye. I also dropped off a prescription for glasses that will work on the astigmatism in his left eye. It will take 1-2 weeks for the glasses to be ready.
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