good news!

I had a great experience at Vision Therapy Associates last week. Dr. Crista Roser was phenomenal. I spent over two hours with her for the evaluation and consultation. Many of the tests were familiar to me - the Snellen eye chart, the fly vectogram, etc., but many were new to me. Because of this, many of the tests were extremely frustrating because, for the first time, I couldn't figure out what I should see. When I was a child sitting in the eye doctor's chair, it was all about getting the right answer when the doctor asked, "What do you see?" The right answer, I thought, would mean I wouldn't have to have another eye muscle surgery. I'm still in that frame of mind, where I think if I just know what I should see, then my brain will start to perceive it. There was one test, however, that involved a paper chart and a line of light that I can't even begin to figure out how your two eyes are supposed to meld them into one image. Sometimes I think I'm smarter than other people because my eyes work independently so my eyes can't play tricks on me like a normal person. But, as in the previous post, sometimes I have problems of my own.

The evaluation confirmed some suspicions of mine, the biggest being that I don't read and comprehend at typical adult speed. So, how I ended up an English major in college, working as a librarian, and pursuing a job in publishing is really beyond me. I thought I was a slow reader. I knew that in school, I scored well below my average on reading comprehension. Now we know why. And more importantly, now I can work on fixing it. The prospect of reading more quickly and effectively (with both eyes!) is so incredibly exciting to me. It would impact so many aspects of my life, including work, which is so important.

The good news is that I start vision therapy this Thursday! The potential bad news is that a result of stereovision in adult strabismics is not common.

I found out also, that my last eye surgeon, Dr. David Guyton, is not only my favorite eye doctor and one of the kindest most respectful medical professionals I have ever met, but he is also world renowned in the field of pediatric ophthalmology, particularly in the area of strabismus and surgery. I have always know he is something special, but I'm glad to know the medical community recognizes it. I am so lucky to have four surgeries performed by Dr. Guyton, including the most important one: my last.