Alivia 20/20

During the school year, we received 2 notes from school stating Alivia failed her vision screening. The results were TOTALLY off, but they were both failed exams. As a nurse, I thought they should have the same result or close to it to be a reliable test.

So, I took Alivia to her pediatrician right after she turned 8 and had an eye exam done there with her annual physical. The results were the same, she could not see.

Fine, I will take her to the eye doctor. But, I am telling you, we have not seen any clinical evidence that Alivia could not see. At home, she likes to sit close to the TV (what kid doesn't?!). Again, we did not think anything of it. Her teacher in the second grade said Alivia had asked to be moved to the front of the class. Alivia was moved and remained there all year. Alivia never said she could not see in school (even when we asked her repeatedly). So, we were still questioning that she could not see. Did Alivia just want glasses? We tried to tell her how they are not fun to have and she could and would get them if she needed them. We did not want to make them sound all that bad in case she really needed them.

The results of the eye exam at the eye Dr....-200. In other words, what we can see at 200 feet, Alivia can only see when she moves up to 20 feet. Really? That is so hard to fathom because she never said a thing about blurry vision or anything!

So here is an image of the Snellen eye chart used. Alivia, well, she could only see that BIG HUGE E!! I kept at her, "Alivia, tell the doctor what letters you can see." Alivia would say, "Mommy, they are too far away."

Well, in the end, they said she needed glasses. I thought this is what she wanted to hear.

Well, I was wrong. Alivia broke down in tears! Her face all red, stopping saying she would not look at glasses as she wanted contacts (Chris and I both have contacts) or nothing at all. I called Chris at home (who was working in his home office). He was quite annoyed, probably thinking I just needed help selecting which pink frames to get. By the time he arrived, I had decided to pay the Doctor and skip the lenses until Alivia could be reasoned with.

Alivia went back two days later, selected her glasses (we got her 2, one in pink, and the same exact one in lilac). She picked out several, selecting ones that were more suttle. We decided that we would see if she was ready for contacts when she was 9 years old. We will see about that.

After we walked out, Alivia started telling me everything she could see. "Mom, I can see that sign and that one and that one!" She was amazed. I was amazed, too. How could we miss that our little girl could not see?! I mean, she could not wear these glasses and see anything if she really could not see. Come to find out, she is legally blind without correction!

Alivia is now 20/20 in her new pink glasses. She will get her new lilac ones in time for school to start. Introducing the new Alivia. Oh boy, watch out, she is going to be telling us all sorts of stuff she can see now!

With the store lenses on

Side floral design