Dang Genetics

Growing up, my eyesight was 20-15. Good stuff. If 20-20 is perfect, my eyesight was BETTER than perfect. It wasn't until I went to an eye appointment a couple years back that I learned I now "need" glasses...and those only at night for watching movies or driving, and EVEN THEN only if I want to "sharpen things up" a little. So, no biggie.

My husband? Pretty much the same story. Not only a couple years ago did he discover a need for glasses...mostly when he's working on his computer. Which is always. But that's beside the point.

So it came as just a little bit of a shock to us when Dr. Yu told us that Tyler needed to see a pediatric opthamologist. "WHAT? WHY?!" Turn out his vision ain't so keen. At all. We wondered why he's been crossing his eyes on and off the last few weeks, but when we asked him about it, he always laughed and said "I'm a space boy!" and we were never sure if he was just being 4, or if there was some sort of issue. Well, turns out there's an issue...a big one.

It's genetic, of course...just not the genes that have rooted in our individual bodies. See, Jason's brother Keith (and Wendy will attest!) wears glasses/contacts, and has since he was quite small. I remember Mom2 telling about how just after Keith got his first pair of glasses, he stopped what he was doing and immediately got down on the floor examining everything...because he could SEE! And I'm starting to think Tyler's going to be doing the same thing.

See, the pediatric opthamologist gave us a prescription...for slightly less than Tyler needs, but in the hope that with his "slightly too small," "extremely far-sighted" eyes, as he grows, the lesser prescription might help him self-correct...a little. But the truth of the matter is, Tyler will be wearing glasses or contacts every day for the rest of his life. And we're talking, "Tease me" bottle-bottom glasses that magnify his eyeballs like bug eyes, poor kid. But he's tough and he's gorgeous, so I doubt anyone will give him a hard time more than once.

Anyway, Tyler's eyes are a +7.00 in his right eye, and a +6.75 in his left. Ask Kim...she'll tell ya that that ain't good. The blessing there, though, will come when he DOES get his glasses next week (we filled the prescription today...thank heavens for vision insurance!) and can suddenly see things and detail he didn't know existed, and not even have to cross his eyes (to overcompensate for the strain focusing puts on his little eyeballs) to do it!

So in about 7 days, Tyler will have a remarkably little pair of (preferably BLUE, according to Tyler!) "easy twist" (read: nearly unbreakable) children's glasses with cute little C-shaped ear-anchors (to keep them from falling off or being lost during preschool play), and we'll post pictures as soon as we take them. In the meantime, Tyler continues to function...but boy, will he notice a difference soon! Counting down the days!