We have suspected for some time now that our 4 year old son may be dealing with some of the poor vision issues his 10 year old brother faces. (Conversion Insufficiency - true double vision caused by his eyes working completely independent of each other, dyslexia, etc.) We are seeing in him the same symptoms which we explained away in his brother, i.e. no writing or coloring at age 4, extreme fear of heights, fear of animals, constant touching of things as he walks past them (to figure out where they really are), etc. They are so easy to explain as boyhood or immaturity, but we are so familiar with them and the direction they have taken us before now.
Doctors will tell you that there is know known cause for these issues, but I think we have found a circumstantial genetic link to my own grandfather. My mother's father was asked to leave school in the second grade because he was "incapable of being taught to read." He was functionally illiterate for most of his life, reading very slowly and having paperwork filled out for him by coworkers. According to my mother, he would often close one eye when he was reading because that one was "tired." This sounds so like my boy (boys?).
I want more for them than this. I want more than a physically demanding menial job for the rest of their lives. I want them to be able to participate in and SEE the world around them. While I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained, the insight I have gathered.....I would rather not ever have to use it again....but it seems that I will.
I keep wondering if it is coincidental that my two blue-eyed children are the boys with vision issues. Is it somehow linked on to that recessive gene? I don't know, but I do know that I hope the new baby has brown eyes like her perfect-seeing siblings. Her hair can be any color, but can her eyes be brown?
And I'm on the lookout for a cool picture of St Lucy. She's about to become my new best friend, ready or not. We need help with my sons and their beautiful blue eyes. If only eyes that lovely could see....
7 comments:
St. Lucy is a very dear Saint to us, for many reasons. She is a wonderful Saint and a wonderful intercessor.
I will see what pictures I can scrounge up of her.
You know...at least you KNOW to really see what is going on. And how you can start now, to work on it with him, and get the help he may need early...that will go a LONG way...
We're still dealing with our boys' issues (at 4, J is still unintelligible 90% of the time, D is much better, but still, only about 75% intelligible). Therapist thinks J has oral motor planning issues...sigh. Need another therapist, closest one is an hour away...again...
I will pray for you, and the boys...and for a beautiful brown eyed girl...
As a blue-eyed lady... blue eyes do seem to have more problems even when there is no official problem. For example, blue eyes are more sensitive to light and depending on lighting/color of text strain more than brown eyes to read. Also, blue eyes can get melanoma (kind of like fairer-skinned people are more susceptible to melanoma). So yeah, many times I've wished I had brown eyes like my hubby, who has no trouble driving at night (headlights/reflections bother me) and who squints a lot less than me. :( Praying you can find a solution to whatever vision problems are going on.
President Reagan couldn't see a lick when he was young. Extremely nearsighted, much more than me. His parents didn't even realize until they went out for a Sunday drive and their son couldn't make out anything.
Scientists today understand more about vision in the eyes and brain than they ever have before. Wonderful things are coming down the pike.
Don't get discouraged. Blind people have good lives despite their disability; and your kids are better off than that.
Oh, and Matthew Alderman has a nice picture of St. Lucy, albeit without the traditional googly eyes on a plate!
Duh. Forgot the picture:
http://www.dappledthings.org/east08/art02.php
His website is Matthew Alderman Studios, but his site's store is here:
http://www.zazzle.com/matthewalderman
Oh, that is so hard for a mother to hear! I am sure your heart is so full of concern for your boys… I will go to St. Lucy and start praying. Those boys are so blessed to have you as their mama.
My heart breaks for you, and #2 and #5. You know how I adore #5 and his sweet, soulful eyes. They may not work right in some ways but that little boy 'sees' more than many people 5 times his age and that, no matter what else happens, will serve him well in life.
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