Alignment



Those who know me well tell me that they do not notice it. For those that meet me the first time, its the first thing that they notice. I notice it a lot, especially in pictures, and when I'm tired. Not always, but enough. It causes strain. It causes paranoia and self consciousness. It's Amblyopia, or "lazy eye." A condition that affects four percent of the population. A disorder in the brain caused by an eye disorder. In my case, it's strabismus or misalignment of the eyes.

When I was about eight years old, the doctors told my parents that surgery was an option but could potentially "over correct" the problem, causing me to be cross-eyed. That was definitely not worth the risk so we didn't head down that road. I would have done the same thing for my child.

I proceeded to go about life, encountering some criticism or taunting about my "lazy eyes." I remember when the two boys I babysat told me that my eyes looked like the hyenas from the Lion King. I remember when a particular classmate of mine would snap her fingers and demand that I look at her when she was talking to me, even though I really was. On a much sadder note, I also remember making fun of myself and telling people that my eyes were "couch potatoes" or were off in "la la land" to ease the pain of being teased. Kids can be so cruel.



No More Hyena!!

It's funny how we remember those hurtful comments, even 20 years later. My career has definitely caused me to be more self conscious about it. I've inquired about a surgical referral the last six years at my eye exams but that was as far as it went. Then one day I was visiting with my new boss and he asks me if he can ask me a personal question (um, okay). He wondered if I had a "lazy eye" because he had one and had surgery when he was five yeas old. He offered his assistance if I ever wanted to explore a surgical correction (yea, he's pretty awesome). Anyway, a couple of weeks later I had to bring Gavin in for a check on his new glasses and asked the question and started the process. I met with the surgeon a week ago and have the surgery scheduled next month. 23 minutes per eye. Outpatient and back to work in a few days. If you're a prayerful person, I would appreciate your prayers for a safe and successful procedure.

One of many examples - misalignment