My wife and I sat in the auditorium of the university that our daughter Miranda was graduating from with a Masters degree in advanced childhood education. As the graduating class began their walk into the auditorium I spotted Miranda and my heart was filled with the pride that only a father can have. The long blue gown that Miranda wore hid her nubile 23 year old body under a shapeless mass, but I knew that under that mass was a pair of perfectly formed legs that rose up into a well formed butt. Then her body tapered into a slim waist, and above the waist were a pair of breast that, while not huge, were a bit larger than her mother’s ample breasts. Her raven black hair cascaded down around her shoulders from under the traditional cap. I didn’t have to see her face to know that she was a very beautiful young lady. I had an older version of her sitting right beside me. I could see Miranda turn her head and I felt that she was trying to see if she could spot her mom and I in the crowd. As her head turned I could see the light flash off the plano fronts of the thick glasses that she had worn since she was a child of 3, and I wondered if her corrected vision was good enough so that she could spot us in the crowd. But then I saw a smile cross her lips and I knew she had seen us.
My pride in my daughter had been there ever since that late winters day 23 years ago when I saw her little head come out from the birth canal. Miranda had been a full term baby, and there were no complications during birth. Her birth weight was a little low, at 7lbs 4 oz but she was perfect in every way. She crawled at 9 months and walked at a year. By the time she was 3 she was reading her own stories and she could turn on the computer and play her Disney video’s without parental assistance. She could read all of her own storybooks to herself although she still wanted Daddy to read her a bedtime story before she would drift off to sleep.
Sometime during the year between Miranda’s third and her fourth birthday I began to notice a disturbing trend where she would pull everything very close to her face to read. And when she was watching television she wanted to sit much closer to the screen than I thought was normal. I mentioned this to my wife, and when Donna took Miranda to her next pediatric appointment Donna told the doctor that we thought Miranda might be a little nearsighted. He did a rough appraisal of Miranda’s eyesight and told Donna that it appeared that Miranda was more than a bit nearsighted. Our pediatrician has a good friend who was an optometrist, and he suggested that sometimes a good optometrist was as good as an ophthalmologist in determining what the problems with a child’s eyes were. So Donna made an appointment with our pediatrician’s friend.
I had not thought much about glasses until the day that Donna came back from the doctor’s appointment with his confirmation that Miranda was nearsighted. I knew that I was attracted to girls who wore glasses, but I had married Donna, who had perfect eyesight, so a wife wearing glasses at that time obviously was not a high priority. There were a couple of girls around my workplace who switched between glasses and contact lenses and I did tell them from time to time that I thought they looked as good if not better with glasses on as they did without. For some reason the thought of Miranda having to get glasses excited me – not sexually, but mentally. I offered to take the day off work and accompany Miranda to the optometrists and Donna was happy to have me do this because she was already snowed under with her assignments at work.
I really felt very comfortable with the eye doctor. He explained that children of Miranda’s age normally were a little farsighted. As they grew older most of them would go from being farsighted into emmetropia. Some kids would stay there, requiring no glasses while other kids would pass through emmetropia into a low or moderate amount of myopia. Miranda had, by this time, already become myopic and at age 3 ½ she needed a prescription of around -4.25D or maybe slightly more. The doctor explained that Miranda was unable to see much more than 9” away from her eyes clearly, and that the further away something was the blurrier it became. He also told me that if a nearsighted child was struggling to see clearly this, in his opinion, made the child develop myopia even faster than she would if she had glasses and was fully corrected.
The doctor asked me if I wanted him to correct Miranda’s vision fully, or if I wanted him to reduce the prescription he found she required slightly. I advised him that I would take his advice and I wanted him to give Miranda the best possible correction. When Miranda and I left the doctors office her prescription read -4.25D for both eyes.
I then took Miranda to an optical store in the mall that advertised glasses in an hour. There I met the sweetest bespectacled young female optician who was extremely helpful. We chose a frame that looked just darling on Miranda and then she started to write up the order. I handed her the prescription from the doctor and she looked at it.
“Oh my, that is a strong prescription for her age!” She exclaimed.
“The doctor said it should really be higher to give her the full correction.” I replied.
“How much higher?” She queried.
“I think he said it should have been -5D for each eye. I told her.
“I don’t believe in under correcting children. I have seen quite a few kids come back in a very short period of time needing much stronger glasses when they have been under corrected.” She told me.
“Do you think we should give her the -5D then?” I asked.
“I can’t unless I call the doctor and get his permission.” She answered.
“I won’t tell.” I said.
“If you promise to loose that prescription slip I will just write down -5D for both eyes. But you are on your own if there are any problems with her being able to see through the lenses.” She said.
“Do you think there might be?” I asked.
“I rather doubt it. The eyes of small children are pretty resilient. We had one child who was tested as being a +3D but the doctor wrote -3D on the prescription slip. The kid wore the glasses for a year, and when she came back for a new pair after she broke her old ones she actually needed that -3D.” She said.
With that they made Miranda her new glasses. When the glasses were finished and the friendly optician placed them on Miranda’s face for the first time Miranda didn’t want to wear them. But after she looked around through the lenses and she discovered that she could see things clearly now she became more willing to leave them on. By the time we left the optical store and walked to the car Miranda seemed to be really happy with her new glasses.
That evening I placed a night table next to Miranda’s bed. In the drawer of the night table I placed the case that had come with Miranda’s glasses. I showed Miranda how to take off her glasses very carefully and place them in the glasses case so that when she woke up in the morning she could reach over and get out her glasses out of the drawer and put them on before she even left the safety of her own bed. Donna didn’t think that was necessary, but I explained that once Miranda became accustomed to the good vision that her strong prescription gave her she would find it harder, if not impossible to go anywhere without wearing her glasses.
During the next few days Miranda became a full time glasses wearer very rapidly. When it was time for her nightly bath she even wanted to leave her glasses on, but I put my foot down and told her that the bathtub was the one place where she didn’t need her glasses. She told me that she did need them though because she couldn’t see her bath toys clearly if they were at the other end of the tub. But I didn’t relent and made her take her glasses off for her bath.
I thought that now that she had her glasses Miranda would no longer bring her reading materials up to what seemed to be less than a foot away from her eyes. But she stubbornly resisted my efforts to have her bring her head back from her books, and I finally gave up trying. At lest she didn’t sit right in front of the television set anymore. But she did bring her head pretty close to the computer screen when she was watching her videos. I had just done some reading on childhood myopia, and what I had gleaned from the various books was that Miranda’s habit of reading up close through her glasses would likely help to increase the elongation of her eyeballs, making her even more nearsighted. Another thing that I had read was that children who spent a lot of time at indoor activities were more inclined to become nearsighted. Miranda hardly ever wanted to play outside. She hated the rain now because it made her glasses spotty and she couldn’t see properly. And of course she detested the cold weather because her glasses frosted up and she had to take them off to let them warm up before she could clean them. She was now in Kindergarten all day and while they had morning and afternoon recess this was only a total of about 30 minutes a day. Travel to and from school had her on a bus for about an hour a day, but I don’t think this could be considered as being outside. And when she got to the sitters she was content to sit and read a book until Donna or I picked her up. Her time spent out of doors was really very limited. Another thing I read that confirmed what the optometrist had said was that it actually was better for a myope to be fully corrected at all times.
That is why, when I noticed Miranda giving things off in the distance a pretty heavy squint in the spring before school let out I didn’t waste any time making another eye appointment for Miranda. I worried a bit about what the doctor might say when he found out that Miranda was wearing glasses that were -0.75D stronger than he had prescribed, but he didn’t even check the prescription in her glasses. When he was finished he advised me that Miranda now needed a prescription of -5.75D. I asked if that was her full prescription and was told that it was fairly close to it.
That meant that Miranda had eaten up the -0.75D that the friendly optician and I had given her and she had increased by another -0.75D. Now all I had to do was to see if my optician friend would go along with another small increase. I knew that she still worked at the one hour place in the mall because Miranda and I had been in for a couple of adjustments over the past year and a half and she had helped us both times.
She was busy with a customer when we came in and another girl came over to us to see if she could help. After I explained that we were waiting for Cathy she told me that she could help us select a frame while we waited, and that is what we did. Miranda found a frame that she really liked, and I thought it looked very nice on her. It had been close to a year and a half since Miranda had gotten her first pair of glasses but she had treated them very well, so the frame was still in good shape. I had decided that if Cathy would help me out by giving Miranda a slightly stronger prescription again I would have new lenses placed in her old frames.
“The doctor cut her prescription back to the minimum again Cathy. I think that next time I will look for another doctor.” I told her.
‘He didn’t notice that her glasses were slightly stronger than he prescribed?” Cathy questioned.
“He never said a word. And he didn’t check the power of the lenses.” I answered.
‘Same deal as last time – a 0.75D increase?” Cathy asked.
“That would be wonderful if you can do it. And if you can I would like to have new lenses put in her old glasses as well.” I said.
When we left the optical store Miranda was wearing her new -6.50D glasses. I asked her if she could see everything clearly again and she told me that her new glasses were wonderful and that she could see just great. I had not bothered spending the money for a higher index lens and because the frame width was a little bigger than her old glasses the lenses stuck out behind the frame a bit. I had kept her old -5D lenses from her other glasses and when I had compared those lenses to the thickness of the new lenses in her old frames the new ones were a bit thicker. But I could tell that the new lenses had a flatter front than her old lenses had. I had asked Cathy about this, and she told me that by reducing the curve on the front they were able to make the lenses thinner until they reached a point where the front of the lens was completely flat.
Miranda didn’t change her habits about being inside and reading a lot with things pulled close to her eyes. It didn’t surprise me when, by the end of second grade, she was having trouble picking people out in a crowd unless she got almost right up to them. I first noticed that problem in March when we came back from Florida after spring break and she couldn’t pick out my mom and dad in the crowd at the airport. It had only been about 21 months since she got her new glasses but I think she had likely been squinting for a while..
I didn’t say anything to my wife about this. I wanted to take Miranda to a different doctor, and the last time I had been in to see Cathy at the optical store with Miranda Cathy had told me that a friend of had recently become an optometrist and he was setting up a new practice. He wasn’t open yet, but Cathy implied to me that he was also of the opinion that it was better to give a child their full prescription than it was to leave them under corrected. So I was willing to give him a try, especially after Cathy had implied that he was willing to be very flexible.
I had given Cathy’s friend my number and his receptionist called as soon as the office was open. I made an appointment for late afternoon the following day and I picked Miranda up from school that afternoon. I could tell that Miranda really needed stronger glasses by now. It had only been a few weeks since the episode at the airport where she couldn’t see mom and dad in a crowd, but here I was, her own dad, walking towards her and she couldn’t even recognize me until I was about 30 feet – which is 10 meters away from her. Maybe there was some truth to the idea that straining their eyes to see made a child even more myopic.
I liked Doctor Bob a lot, and so did Miranda. According to the doctor Miranda needed a sizeable increase. Her prescription had climbed from -6.50D up to -8.50D according to the lowest prescription that he could give her to see the 20/20 line with.
“But if I send her out of here with that prescription it is highly likely that she will need even stronger lenses in anywhere from 3 to 6 months. If you choose to have her new glasses made up with the -8.50D than I would want to see you back here within 6 months and she will likely need new glasses again.” Bob said.
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
“It is pretty obvious to me that Miranda has a form of progressive myopia. Her vision will continue getting worse and worse until she is in her mid to late 20’s. Then hopefully her eyes will stabilize and she will be able to go many more years without any further increases. What we need to do now is to hold these increases back to a minimum. The best option is for you to bring her in every 3 months and then buy her new glasses as required. That is what I would do if she were my child.” Bob explained.
When I looked at the prescription slip he gave me I raised my eyebrows at the -9.00D that was written on it.
“I thought you said -8.50D?” I asked.
“I said -8.50D was the lowest possible prescription I could give her. I felt that if I had given her than she would be back in less than 3 months. I am hoping that this prescription will last you about 6 months. I would still like to see her in September though.” Bob said.
Miranda and I then went to see Cathy to buy her new glasses. This time the lower cost lenses were not available except by special order, so Miranda ended up with high index lenses in her glasses. Cathy was right, and now the fronts of her lenses were dead flat but the back of the lenses stuck out quite a bit more than her old lenses did. I bought a new frame, and I left her old frame with Cathy so that she could order a pair of the cheaper, but thicker lenses in Miranda’s new -9.00D prescription for that frame. With the amount of myopia she now had I knew that Miranda would be helpless if she ever broke her glasses.
Again Miranda was pleased with her vision through her new glasses. A couple of weeks later I picked up her old glasses with the new lenses from Cathy, and I was quite surprised at the thickness of the lenses. Miranda didn’t want to wear them because they were so thick, and I told her that she didn’t have to unless she broke her good glasses.
“She is fine with that prescription for a while longer. She hasn’t moved up at all. I still want to see her around Christmas time though.” Dr. Bob said
“So she is still at -8.50D then Doctor?” I asked.
“Oh, was she only at -8.50D before? Then she has moved up slightly as she tests right at -9.00D now.” Bob said.
“But she will still be good until after Christmas then won’t she?” I asked.
“If you see that she is having trouble seeing things clearly then by all means bring her in, but I am hoping she will last until the first of the year. However, if you still have a pair of her old glasses then it might help if you get her to wear them when she is doing a lot of reading.” Bob replied.
“We still have a pair with the -6.50D lenses, so I will try that Doctor.” I replied.
I managed to convince Miranda that it was in her best interests to wear her old glasses whenever she was doing a lot of reading. She read almost all of the time, so her old glasses were getting a lot of use when she was around the house. Of course she didn’t want to take them to school with her to wear there, and I didn’t force her.
“I could give her another -0.25D, but it just doesn’t seem worthwhile. And I hesitate rushing her into a pair of -9.50D lenses. Let’s just wait until Easter and see what has happened by that time.” Dr. Bob told me.
By Easter I knew that a new pair of lenses was in Miranda’s immediate future. She had quit using her old glasses to read with and when I asked she told me that she had to bring things too close to her face for comfort when she used them. And her distance vision was noticeably non existent again.
“You are going to have to wear those other glasses for at least a week Miranda. Cathy needs to order the lenses you now need. She doesn’t have -10.50D in stock.” I said.
“I won’t wear them Daddy. They are awful looking.” Miranda told me.
“Your only other choice is to have the new lenses placed in the frame that has the thick lenses then.” I said.
“No, I want the new lenses in the frame I have been wearing.” Miranda said stubbornly.
“I guess it is your choice to go without glasses for a week then Miranda. We will have Miranda’s new lenses placed in these frames then please Cathy.” I replied.
We headed for the car with me holding onto Miranda’s hand. Her thick glasses were in my pocket and Miranda was bare eyed. By the time we reached the car Miranda had realized that wearing the glasses with the thicker lenses was better than trying to go around for the next week with no glasses at all. I was a bit relieved when she sullenly asked me for her glasses.
Miranda was not a very happy camper for the next week. There had been a few unflattering comments about her “new” glasses being so thick and she had been forced to tell people that these were not her new glasses, but were her old, spare pair of glasses.
“If your eyes continue to deteriorate like the doctor suggests they will then even the high index lenses will be as thick as those glasses Miranda.” I said.
“Is that really true Daddy?” Miranda asked.
“Yes, it is honey. I am spending quite a bit more money in order to give you the thinner lenses Miranda. As long as you don’t have changes in your eyesight more often than about once a year I can manage to afford to buy you the thinner lenses. That is why I couldn’t afford to buy you new frames this time Miranda.” I told her.
“Will I get new frames the next time then?” Miranda asked.
“Yes, we will get new frames for you then.” I replied.
“Then don’t buy me the expensive lenses. I will wear the thicker ones and I don’t care what the other kids say.” Miranda replied.
The -10.50D lenses were good for the year that Miranda was 8. Her next prescription at age 9 was -11.50D and this brought her up to June of the year she turned 10. This time her prescription didn’t jump the full diopter and her new glasses were -12.25D. The last 2 pairs of glasses had been made with the regular CR39 lenses and they had been pretty thick. But Miranda didn’t complain about the thickness at all. She just put the glasses on her face and wore them like a trooper. And during this time she also wore her old, lower powered glasses for any extended reading that she was doing.
Nothing of any consequence happened during the following 4 years. Her increases did average about -1D every year and by the time Miranda was 14 her newest glasses were -16.50. Cathy had given Miranda the choice to have a biconcave front to her lenses and a full field lens, or a flat front with the back of the lens shaved off. Cathy did push more for the flat fronted lens, and I agreed with her, so for the first time Miranda’s CR39 lenses looked a bit like a myodisc lens.
The following year Miranda had increased by only -0.50D. She did get new lenses in her old frames and they looked even more like a myodisc. Then when Miranda was 16 she had abut 3 increases that year for a total of -2.25D. The myodisc bowl was now around 30mm and her lenses were definitely myodiscs. The following year saw a couple more large jumps that brought Miranda up to a prescription of -22D. When she was 16 I had offered to buy Miranda contact lenses, but to my surprise she decided that she didn’t need them.
“It is your decision, but I am interested in how you arrived at it.” I said.
‘They won’t make me any less nearsighted Daddy. And people who might meet me when I am wearing contact lenses will not know how bad my eyesight is, or how thick my glasses need to be in order for me to see. So if I were to ever meet up with them when I am wearing my glasses they might think less of me because of my glasses. This way people will know right away if they want to get to know me or not.” Miranda said.
“That is a very intelligent observation Miranda. I am proud of you for being so astute.” I replied.
Miranda had turned 18 just before she graduated from her final year of high school. She then spent 4 years at university to get her Bachelor’s degree. But she wanted to be a teacher so she spent a year taking her masters degree in childhood education and she was now graduating with honors. She had a teaching job lined up and was going to continue living at home for at least another year. After the year she turned 17 her myopic increases slowed down considerably and when she peered through the lenses of her strong glasses to see if she could spot her mom and me sitting in the crowd her prescription was now just a little shy of -25D. Doctor Bob had recently examined her eyes at her annual checkup and he had pronounced her retina’s to be firmly attached and advised us that the general health of her eyes was quite good. He had even signed off on her application for her driver’s license stating that her visual acuity with glasses was better than the minimum 20/40 that our state required. Miranda felt that she had no need for a driver’s license because the bus service in our city was quite good. But I had suggested that even if she didn’t use it she should apply for her license. She had signed up to take driving lessons and I was confident that she would have her license before she started teaching.
The Dean called her name and Miranda headed up onto the stage to receive her diploma. He handed it to her and, like all the other students had done, she turned to face the audience and took a bow. As she bowed I watched the sunlight dance across the face of her glasses and I could see the sides of her face in the cut in of her strong prescription. I noticed her glance off to the other side of the room and I followed her gaze. I spotted her boyfriend Darrin sitting there with a big grin on his face. Darrin seemed to be a pretty decent guy so I had hopes for him as a son in law. Miranda had definitely made the right choice not to get contact lenses when she was 16, because her dance ticket had never been empty. Obviously there were quite a few guys who didn’t mind the looks of a pretty girl who wore thick glasses.
As Miranda headed off the stage my heart filled with pride for my daughter. She had easily overcome having to wear her thick glasses and had become a confident young lady, about to head out into the world to make it on her own.
Specs4ever June 2014