Amblyopia

What is amblyopia?  Amblyopia means there is a vision deficiency in an eye that is otherwise normal.  It usually only affects 1-5% of the population. It is what Michaela was diagnosed with at age four by her eye specialist.

When I took Michaela for her three year old well check up at the Dr. She did not do well for the eye exam portion.  We flagged it.  Thinking it could be eye problems or it could be a VERY active three your old trying to focus on a paper at the end of a hallway with lots going on!  When I brought her for her four year old well check up she totally failed again.  She did not even know they were holding up a paper L  They recommended us to go and see an eye specialist, which we did.  They diagnosed her with “amblyopia.”  Once it was explained to me I totally understood why she could not recognize all her letters or even write her name.  To simplify it Michaela's brain had stopped asking one of her eyes to work.  She was completely relying on only one of her eyes to see.

It was at our first appointment they gave Michaela glasses to wear and patches for one of her eyes.  Usually amblyopia is only in one eye and rarely in both.  So thus began our new way of life…glasses and an eye patch.  I can never form into words how wonderful Michaela was with all of this.  Most children would have fussed and argued.  She did not.  She has never taken her glasses off…she wishes she could sleep in them!  Only a few times did she ever ask for her patch to be off.  What a brave and kind little lady she was. 

We have been seeing Dr. Duss for three years now and we are so thankful for her!  It was at this last eye appointment a few weeks ago that Dr. Duss declared her healed of her amblyopia!  She said had we not caught it when we did Michaela would have completely lost sight in that eye!  I guess I was not fully aware of how serious her case was.  So the moral of this little story is GO to those well check up appointments for your little ones!  In our case it saved Michaela’s eyesight!!  I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses God puts in our path!

Here are a couple of pics of our little lady at the eye doctor.