Do you see what I see?

KatieJo has always had a high reading level for her age.  

That is until this year.  It's lower than it was last year and she reads ALL the time.

I got worried when I found out what it was.  (It's 2.9-3.8)

This last year she was diagnosed as having what is called Amblyopia (meridional) and alternating extropia.  

What does that mean?

It means her eyes alternate turning out and is usually caused by a strabismus.  I didn't notice it until 2 Christmas's ago when she wasn't wearing her glasses in our Christmas picture.  

And the amblyopia basically means her eyes aren't seeing the same and aren't working together as a team.

We patched her eyes for a while and we were able to get her eyes closer to seeing the same.  At the time it was determined that she needed eye therapy.  Then summer happened and we left town and the eye doctor's office lost one of it's therapists.  So there wasn't a spot for her.  They said most likely they'd eventually fit her in during the day during school.  I wasn't okay with that.  She can't miss school 2 times a week at the same time.  If she's struggling with reading because of her eyes we can't afford for her to miss the same subject twice a week.

Today I took her back in to see Dr. Karen because I was worried.  I thought maybe I was just being paranoid about KatieJo's vision and I was told that the tests they give are very subjective, meaning if a kid has an off day the results could be way off.  But Dr. Karen assured me today that I was not being paranoid.  KatieJo's strabismus in her right eye is getting worse.  She's not changing her prescription yet or giving her bifocals, however she is going to get her into therapy ASAP.  We should hear back in the next few days as to when she'll be going in.  Thankfully they have a new therapist on staff that doesn't have any patients yet which means we will get the first choice of spots.

We were told that when she reads she had to take a break every 10 minutes in order for her to rest her eyes. She also is having problems with some focusing issues.  She can read fine up close and then when they switch to the board her eyes refuse to work together and vice versa.  Dr. Karen described it as her eyes just get too tired trying to work together.

I'm so grateful there is help for her eyes!  She has always been a great student at the top of her class and it was a little scary to all of the sudden be lower than she's ever been before.  

I'm also very grateful that we have some awesome eye insurance!  We didn't have any in Wyoming and I have no doubt in my mind that part of the reason we moved here was for the eye doctor and for the great insurance.  Between KatieJo and Phillip the staff know us by name when we walk in!