15 Year fraternal twins Karen and Steve are completing their freshman year online as our most students in the US. Mom Cary is an MD who has never been in private practice. Cary after graduationg med school worked as a hospitalist and ER physican before taking a teacing job at the hometown medical school for 2 reasons. One is the hours are more reasonable and the twins can get any undergraduate degree at any state college. Dad Kevin is an Optometrist working for a practice adjacent but independent from a major optical chain store. As for smarts the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Both twins are excellent students and Steve at age 14 tried out for the Jeopardy! teen touurnament barely missing the cut. Steve plans to try out again at age 16.
Both twins had an eye exam before 1st grade. Steve small for his age at the time was barely Hyperopic and glasses were not advised at the time. Karen was Myopic and was prescribed of -.75 in both eyes. Karen’s prescription is now about a -6. Steve who grew quite a bit for his age between 1st and 2nd grade still Hyperopic and was prescribed glasses of +2. Karen took to wearing glasses right away whlle Steve was able to accomadate until his vision got to the point where he had no choice but to go full time at what is now in the range of +5. Steve has Astigmatism while Karen does not. By age 10 Steve was hinting at contacts but both his Optometirst and his Dad said wait another year. Steve does get contacts the next year and does very well with them. Steve as instructed wears his glasses in the mornings before putting in his contacts and at night after taking his contacts out.
Karen tall for her age and a female plays basketball from 4th grade on wearing sports specs. By 6th grade Karen’s Dad is hinting at contacts at least for basketball buy she has no interest until a talk with the varsity coach before the start of her 8th grade season. Karen finally agrees to be examined for contacts and is considered a good canidate. Karen only wears contacts to school on the days she has basketball practice still preferring glasses. One of Karen’s best friends who tried contacts and can’t stand wearing them doesn’t understand it. Karen can stand contacts fine but just doesn’t like fooling with them. After basketball Karen goes back to only glasses until the start of practice for her freshman year again only wearing them for practice and games.
Earlier the year the Covid 19 virus started and school was moved to online for the rest of the year. All sports and after school activities were called off. Karen as usual goes back to glasses to the surprise of noone. Shortly after school was called off Cary and Kevin are talking about ways to prevent the spread of the virus. One of the items mentioned is a person not touching their face. About that time Steve comes in the room to tell his parents that the next day he will be putting his last pair of contacts in. Unknown to Steve the one pair of contacts have been removed from his bathroom and disposed of. When told this Steve is furious and drops a few choice words. Steve’s parents had heard him say minor cusswords before but this time they hear about every word in the book including the F-bomb. Steve is still unhappily wearing glasses saying he going to have whatever vision correction procedure that works for him when old enough. Kevin knowing the results of Lasik and other vision correction procedures on Hyperopic patients says it’s a bad idea unless they improve a lot in the next 10-15 years. Right now Karen is happily wearng glasse while Steve gripes every day about not having contacts. Steve’s very patient parents did not punish him for his outburst but says if it happens again they will. Steve’s parents know teenager talk like that around other teens but it is not accepted around parents.
This story is fantasy but with the terrible virus going around I wonder if in some families where one or both parents are in medical fields if kids are not allowed to wear contacts.
https://vision-and-spex.com/where-are-my-contacts-t1687.html