Angry, but relieved.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 11-30-2006, 01:56 PM

Background info, I took my older 2 kids to the eye doctor in August, right before we moved. I knew we would have no vision insurance when we got to Ohio. they said that both kids had a problem where their eyes were not working together. She said that ds needed glasses to correct it and if it didn't work would need vision therapy. She said dd had it slightly and we just needed to watch her.

So at dd's well care she failed an eye exam and we were referred to the opthamologist at Children's hospital. So we went this morning and I was explaining to the doctor everything that had happened in CO and he was very confused. After looking at both kids, looking at ds's glasses, he said that both of their eyes were fine and that ds never needed glasses at all. he said that both of their eyes are positioned in their head so that they turn a little out, but that it isn't a problem and doesn't mean anything. he said that ds's glasses were so weak that they would never do anything for him. When he asked ds if the glasses helped, he said that he never noticed a difference whether he had them on or not.

So basically the lady didn't know what she was doing and it was a whole lot of time and money spent on glasses that he never needed. And what kind of damage can be done by wearing prescription glasses that you don't need? I am not sure. so I am angry at everything that happened in CO. But I am so relieved that neither of the kids need glasses. We don't have vision insurance here and it would have been very expensive to buy them both glasses. Ds's were so destroyed (he is only 8) that they were almost to the point of needing to be replaced. What a mess this has all been!

**YankeeMom** · 11-30-2006, 02:12 PM

We had almost the exact issue here.
We took the kids for an eye exam two years ago. We were told my then 6yo needed glasses for near sightedness and a mild stigmatism. We paid nearly $200 for frames & lenses (ins. only covers the exam

). Fast forward two years to this years appt. We went to a different eye dr. He said, yes, ds is near-sighted and does have a very very mild stigmatism, but that the prescription required for that would be so mild that it wouldn't make a noticeable difference in how he sees (which would also account for the fact that he refused to wear them saying they didn't help). The new eye dr suggested just waiting it out to see if it got bad enough for glasses.

While I was relieved he didn't need them, I'm also ticked that we paid all that money for glasses he didn't even need!!!

**MarshHen** · 11-30-2006, 02:37 PM

Wow, I would be

too. Maybe since ds's glasses were so weak anyway, it didn't do any harm to his vision. Silver lining here though is the good news that neither of the kids need glasses. Especially since you don't have vision insurance.

**Katybird** · 12-04-2006, 07:16 PM

Wow, that really stinks that you both are out all that money for eyeglasses that were never needed. I am glad to hear that your kiddos eyes are all fine though.

**nwmissourigal** · 12-04-2006, 11:16 PM

geez...if you can't trust an eye doctor who can you trust...just glad they don't need glasses...but sorry about the money spent. I would be tempted to write a letter to the eye in CO....

**paintedsky** · 12-04-2006, 11:36 PM

It might be perhaps the kids didn't understand the instructions with the testing depending on how old they are or might have made up just any answer without really comprehending because I remember tests as a kid and sometimes just made up stuff since I didn't get it. That is the only real way I think they could make a mistake.

I just wanted to also add that at my last exam, as an adult I sometimes got confused lol with all the rights and lefts in order I just sometimes said things without thinking it through and as a result one of the eyes were off, although I think both eyes remained the same from the previous doctor. I had also changed optometrists and I liked the other one better too though since the other one was less confusing and didn't rush me lol

**YankeeMom** · 12-05-2006, 10:16 AM

I'm not sure how they test children in other places, but here it's pretty straight forward...there are pictures of recognizable objects like a circle, triangle, birthday cake, etc. There's no left, right, what letter, etc. The most 'complicated' part of the whole exam is when they put different prescriptions in front of their eyes and asked if it was harder to see or easier to see.