Seeing Double Vision By: Lori J Loesch
Being a later mom than a sooner mom has it’s advantages and it’s disadvantages. Today I’ll talk about a disadvantage: My health. My vision hasn’t been right for seven years. I have been to, Ophthalmologist, Optometrists, and Medical Physicians in those seven years. I always walked away with or without new lenses, seeing a little better than when I came in, but not good enough. The last time, I thought this is it, my vision isn’t going to get any better. I better adjust.
I have finally found out what is wrong with my vision. I went to a Dr. I have never seen. He’s partners with the Ophthalmologist I’ve been seeing for twenty years, who won’t be back to the office for a month. WhenI called the nurse, she got me in right away. I started to pray to God, that I would be able to communicate to the doctor what it is I see when I look through the pupils of my eyes. I had also been doing some vision tests of my own. I’d pick out a road sign, or words written on the white board at my daughter’s school, for example, I’d look at it with both eyes, then with the right eye shut, and then again with the right eye opened. What I found was that, with both eyes wide, there was something wrong, didn’t know what, but I couldn’t see right. With my right eye open and the left eye shut, I could see ok. It was fuzzy, but not like what I saw with both eyes. Then again with my right eye closed and the left open, again, I saw ok. Not perfect, but ok. nothing like when I had both eyes wide.
The doctor explained it this way, I have a vertical misalignment with my eyes and since I had this 45 years ago, when I was five, my brain was self correcting. My brain was trying to correct the vision problem, which was why I was having such a difficult time communicating to doctors exactly what it was I saw when I looked out into the world. My world, my kids world. It all made sense right there sitting in a chair. It all became clear to me. All the frustration to see clearly, the struggle to find a physician that would correct my vision. One who would prescribe new lenses so that I could finally, after seven years of struggling, see clearly. I was happy! He told me that this was my Ophthalmologist’s expertise. They set up an appointment in one month, after he came back to the office. I did notice the nurses face, it was forlorn, she looked as if the news I got wasn’t deserving of such a celebration.
I researched double vision, and now I was sure why the nurse had that ominous look on her face. When one has double vision with both eyes wide, and no double vision with each eye singularly, it is neurological. It’s not an eye problem. The researched information suggested I see a physician right away. I did, the very next day I scheduled an appointment with a neurosurgeon, at a large teaching hospital. They scheduled my appointment right away. I couldn’t believe I’d be driving an hour to the hospital in 17 days! Two or three months is what I thought I’d have to wait.
Now here I am with a young daughter, and I’m not sure what the future holds. Will I have prisms put into lenses to correct the double vision, is it MS, an aneurism, or a tumor, or will I have to go through another eye surgery to correct the muscles in my eye? I started thinking about the positive things like, I am closer to God than ever before, my daughter will become more independent, and I realize just how precious time spent with my kids is. I want to seize the moment and enjoy each other, and talk and share more than ever before!
Tags: brain, Diplopia, double vision, eye, muscles of the eye, nerve damage, neurologist, ophthalmologist, optometrist, Strabismus, vision problem
