New Glasses

Have you ever noticed that when a traumatic event happens, even if it wasn't that bad, the trauma just snowballs in your mind making it the worst thing that has ever happened in your life? Well, that's how I can sum up our visit to the eye doctor last week.

Angelina did not like having her eyes dilated (who does?!). However, it was quickly over and we were out in the waiting room playing with toys so that experience was quickly forgotten. Then came time for the actual eye exam. Though it was not physically invasive, Angelina hated having the doctor wave the lenses in front of her eyes. She did not like having to hold her head still even more. He spent 10 minutes flashing lights and putting things in front of her dilated eyes and she screamed the whole entire time. Now, I was the lucky one to be holding her at the time the exam began so it was up to me to try to hold her head still and console her at the same time. That went over like a fart in church.

The eye doctor that we saw has been doing this for a long, long time and did not have the best bed-side manner, to say the least. After 15 minutes, he had her diagnosed and told us she needed glasses. I was overwhelmed as this was such a quick decision and because my baby was clawing at my neck and inconsolably crying.

Then, emotionally, it got worse from there. The doctor then told us that we were soooo lucky because the optical shop is the only shop around that has these wonderful toddler frames. I had an open mind until he put a pair on Angelina. I looked at Angelina and saw these rubber-made frames, the pair he put on her were this blue pair that looked like Harry Potter glasses on steroids. The glasses pushed me over the edge. Here it is, in a span of 15 minutes we had a traumatic exam, found out we needed glasses then looked at my red-eyed baby with rubber frames on her head that were far too big for me never mind her. I was choking back the tears, that's for sure.

Angelina has been diagnosed with being nearsighted, which is causing her to cross her eyes because she needs to focus so hard. So, we are going back in three months, if her eyes (after three months) are still crossing after having glasses we will have the surgery to tighten the eye muscles. But, she will still need glasses for the nearsightedness.

A week has gone by since our appointment. When I think back to it as a rational person, I realize that it was not the snowball-effect trauma that the emotional side of me still thinks it is!

I left the optical shop last week in such a sour mood because we were the lucky ones who got to purchase these wonderful rubber-framed glasses instead of a normal-looking pair! However, now, I see the positives of having a toddler in a pair of virtually unbreakable glasses, what a good feeling it is not to have to replace them every time an accident occurs. And, Angelina is pretty stinking cute in them, if I had to give my opinion!

Now, If I could only keep track of the number of times I have said "Lina, keep your glasses on your eyes!"