Lauren's New Glasses

A few weeks ago we took Lauren to a new eye doctor in Salt Lake. She's been seeing an eye doctor in Pocatello since she came home from the hospital over 3 years ago. Lauren has had a condition called ROP or Retinopothy of Prematurity that she's been followed for. This is a condition related to being born so early where the blood vessels in the retina form abnormally. Often times babies are treated surgically to correct the problem and glasses are sometimes needed later. Lauren never had surgery but has had to be watched closely as blindness can result if the appropriate measures aren't taken as the eyes grow. The Pocatello doctor had given her a prescription for glasses about a year ago and said that she was getting increasingly farsighted. He said to have her wear the glasses, if possible. But, if she didn't want to wear them, we shouldn't force her and should try again in a month. The idea was that when she realized that they helped her she would want to wear them.

Well, we tried having her wear the glasses, but, of course, she didn't like them and didn't want to wear them. Throughout the course of the last year we'd try putting them on her and she'd break them because she wouldn't leave them on. We'd have them fixed and try again with the same results.

The doctor in Salt Lake agreed that she needed to wear glasses and said that she would need to wear them at all times. Once again, failure to wear them could result in a degree of blindness. And, most importantly, if she does wear her glasses her eye muscles will strengthen and she may actually grow out of this and not need glasses later on. So, here is our beautiful Lauren with her new "specs". She's done great with them this time around. I think the new pair fits her better than the last pair and that she's now old enough to realize that she can see better. We'll see the eye doctor again in 6 months.

One more happy note. . .Nathan also saw this same eye doctor in Salt Lake and we were told to discontinue having him wear his glasses for the time being. Yeah Nathan!!! Hopefully this will last. I guess we'll see. . .