Health Matters - Our Vision Story

Munch has always loved glasses.

She has roughly 15 pairs of costume glasses.  She didn't, however, realize that she may need to wear prescription glasses one day.

In October of 2013, Munch informed me her eyes were bothering her and she thought she needed glasses.  I wasn't sure but figured it was a possibility so I took her to an eye doctor.  Munch looked similar to the photo above when we arrived and I believe her costume glasses sent a subliminal message to the optometrist.  We signed in, the optometrist took Munch back and, with the door open to the exam room, she projected letters onto the wall.  Munch got several letters wrong.  Liiiiike, really wrong.

The optometrist turned to me and said, "we see this all the time.  Kids WANT glasses so they make up things... don't worry, mom."  Two minutes and $75 later, we were leaving.  WITHOUT glasses and WITHOUT a prescription for glasses. I was so annoyed.  Have you seen my thrifty finds? $75 is a LOT for a cheap-o-holic like myself, Islanders.

Fast forward to two weeks ago (May 2015) and in preparation for SOLs, all of Munch's homework was on the computer.  A whoppin' 45-60 minutes of computer work.  Munch complained the screen was bright. *rolls eyes* I dimmed it.  Munch was taking forever to finish each question.  *rolls eyes* I got frustrated and told her to read aloud because staring off into space is a common problem when it's time to read apparently!  She complained it was too bright.  *rolls eyes* Hmm, that's odd.  The screen brightness is as low as it can go and it's almost black.  *looks at Munch*  Have her eyes always been red? *thinks back*  Hmm.  I oblige her request to make the font larger but walk away and think about common issues while reading (skipping easy words, frequent blinking, etc.).

Hmm... I informed her that I would make a vision appointment for the next day.  I've mentioned my reading glasses I got shortly after the new year here and here.  I didn't share some of the signs that led me to venture in for a visit.  It was a long time coming.  I developed ocular migraines and if you've never had one, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!  My migraines were sudden and blinding.  Basically, I'd be typing at work then have the sudden sensation that someone PUNCHED ME IN THE SIDE OF MY HEAD followed by one of three blinding vision issues.  I found some pictorial representations for your reference.

1.  The shaking aura.  I had a pounding headache accompanied by this tunnel vision effect.  Everything out of focus was shaking.  It made me so dizzy I would vomit at the onset.  It rendered me completely incapable of driving or even walking sometimes.

2. The random floating blob aura.  It would start as a small spot and grow increasingly larger until more than half of my vision was impaired.  I knew when I had a small one, that it would take about 15 minutes before I was down for the count.

3. The shaking light flashes.  Bright, painful aura that caused me to stop in my tracks!

Those are no joke but would I be me if I didn't have a funny story to support my vision issue?  SO, I called my job's IT Department because the side navigation menus were shaking.  It was making me dizzy!  OMG! I had this sweet IT guy drive an hour to my desk to fix an issue with my computer that was non-existent!!!

All that and it was my vision.  MY. VISION!  I knew if Munch was experiencing some of my symptoms, we needed to go ASAP.  We did.

I expected Munch would need a low prescription for reading glasses but I was shocked to learn my child needs bifocals.

I'm not writing this post to speak about her vision but rather to encourage you to visit your local optometrist for an annual visit.  Yep, add them to the list with the dentist.  Make an appointment especially if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms.

YOU KNOW YOU NEED GLASSES WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE...

- Sensitivity to light
- Squinting or straining to see
- Frequent use of an electronic device (5+ hours a day)
- Frequent reading of small font
- Headaches and/or migraines
- Blurred vision
- Eye fatigue (redness or puffiness)

For children, if your child has difficulty reading or complains about the electronic device (too bright or not bright enough), take them in!

The sooner you go, the better!  Our optometrist explained some of Zion's reading issues were directly related to her vision problems!  To think, she's been at a disadvantage because she needed glasses just breaks my heart.  We let her pick out her glasses and picked them up this past Saturday.  She was so excited that she can see!

I can hear the squeals when I see that picture!  We are building her confidence to ensure she knows the glasses help her and they compliment her personal style; she looks FABULOUS in her glasses!

Our health - mental, physical, oral and visual - is important.  Let's commit to make health a priority! Our lives depend on it!