Eye Doctors or Witch Doctors?

Today I took the children in to an optometrist for an annual eye exam. William passed with flying colors (fortunately he didn’t see any flying colors, but was able to read and focus correctly). Carolyn is a whole ‘nother story. Last year she was prescribed glasses for her nearsightedness, which we got, and the doctor recommended that she take them off for close work as a way to try and prevent her nearsightedness from getting worse. Apparently her eyes do not work well together, something called teaming or somesuch. After a year of this, her distance vision is a little worse (duh, just look at her parents) and these other problems are definitely not worse. The doctor strongly recommended a bifocal lens (she did last year but we chose not to get one, having no vision insurance at the time, plus what 9 year old wears bifocals?) which we got, this year. This year we have fantabulous insurance and a $700 pair of glasses cost us $110. Seriously. We opted for a no-line bifocal (her choice) but if we’d gotten the lined bifocal it would have been completely covered, and we’d only be paying about $50 for the frames.

Anyway. Last year the doctor introduced the idea of vision therapy. “Whatever,” I thought. She really gave the hard sell this year, describing all the good it would do. I was about ready to consider it…

…then I googled it and it gave me pause. From what I can tell, the optometrists are all over vision therapy but the ophthalmologists and pediatricians aren’t on the bandwagon yet. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it can help ADD, learning disabilities, etc. All the stories of Johnny not wanting to read, reading below grade level, and then he had vision therapy, and poof! He loooves to read now. And I’m thinking, Hello? Have you spent one day with my daughter? The girl reads more than anyone in our family. She is a reader. She does not have ADD, or dyslexia…but her eyes are not on the same team. The doc asked if she was performing up to potential. “Yes…,” I said. As if I know her potential. She is certainly performing at grade level or better. “Then she’s a bright kid who is compensating. I see it a lot.” Meaning what, exactly? That she would be brighter if her eyes worked better?

Another red flag against V.T. is that it usually is not covered by insurance. The V.T. office (conveniently located next to the optometrist’s office….hmmm…how special!) does not even bill for insurance, you are on your own to deal with insurance. And it’s worth trying, because it costs $100 for 45 minutes and you should go in at least every other week. I am in the wrong profession.

I have very mixed feelings about all this. I don’t completely trust the optometrist, and am thinking about asking my ophthalmologist about it when I see him next month. I have enough guilt in my life without thinking I need to spend hundreds of dollars a month on something that may or may not be useful to her. It kind of feels like the medical equivalent of shoe shopping at Stride Rite: “Well, these shoes have superior arch support and room to grow for developing feet, and they are white because studies show white shoes are associated with higher test scores on college entrance exams…” so of course I paid $45 for toddler shoes. Heaven forbid the child should have misdeveloped feet. I mean, what happens to families who can’t afford vision therapy and their child really does have dyslexia or something? And now I am facing a decision with no good guidance either way. Pfui!

The upshot is that I am going to think on it a while. I am leaning heavily toward no at this time, though. I mean, I already have the guilt of not taking her in for an eye exam at 1 year and 3 years old…when did that recommendation come up? I thought I was so ahead of it when I took them to the dentist at 3 years.

Maybe I’ll just invent a little cheer for her eyes: Go, team, go! Focus in, focus out, focus down and all about! G-o-o-o-o-o eyes! After all, that’s as proven to work with as much clinical data as vision therapy.