We took Alex to the optometrist today. We've been noticing that his eyes seemed to be crossed, and we were concerned. Our pediatrician didn't think much of it, but made a referral anyway.
A woman gave him an initial exam. I hope she actually worked there. She performed a series of tests that involved placing prisms up to his eyes and having him focus on assorted characters from children's shows, all with a blotter sheet and a soundtrack from Pink Floyd. Maybe I imagined that bit. She asked if he knew any of his letters, and we told her that he knows almost all his letters. She said that would make the tests much easier. She produced a series of letters on a television that was opposite of where Alex was sitting. He was gladly naming letters and they gladly were getting smaller. She then put some sort of occlusion device over his left eye, and he kept trying to move his head around it so that he could see. This clearly indicated that he could barely see out of his right eye. He also wasn't doing so hot on the letters.
They dilated his pupils and we waited for the actual doctor. He looked at Alex's eyes and started holding up various lenses. He put a half-frame set of eyeglasses on Alex's face and began the process of identifying what sort of lenses my son might need. It was quite the spectacle. Alex took it all in stride, and even gave the doctor a thumbs-up when it was all done.
So, Alex has to wear glasses for about six weeks to see if that helps anything. He may have lousy eyesight in one eye because the muscles are so weak, and the glasses will correct that. He may also just have a lousy eye, and the glasses will just straighten it out but not improve the vision. Who knows what the future holds?
How's life been treating you?