With all the painful (emotionally AND physically) doctor, therapy, dental, and other healthcare appointments we SPD parents and kids endure, I thought you might enjoy a story about a medical-related appointment that actually turned out to be quite amusing and, dare I say, FUN?!
Munchkin got glasses tonight. I took him to the eye doctor after his teacher told us he says he can’t see the board. I always knew this day was coming…I started wearing glasses in 2nd grade. My hubby’s been wearing them since 1st. Squirrel got hers in 3rd grade. And so genetics dictates that Munchkin was bound to have his turn sooner or later.
Eye exams are their own unique kind of torture. They don’t hurt, necessarily (unless they put those awful numbing drops in that feel like liquid fire for about 30 seconds before making your eyes feel like they belong somewhere other than in your head.) Those of you who wear glasses know how it goes; for those of you fortunate enough to have been blessed with 20/20, let me explain. You sit in a chair in the semi-dark room and the doctor puts a thin rectangle of light up on the opposite wall, and asks you to name the letters you see. And you squint and stare and try to make out a letter among the black spots in the middle of that orange square of light. Then he puts this big machine over your eyes, and starts spinning dials asking, “Can you see anything yet?” Followed by, “Is it better now? Or…now?” And you sit there going, “Uh, I don’t know? Is there a right answer? They both look kind of the same. Maybe that one’s a little blurry…Oh, that one’s definitely blurry, yeah, that’s better…” until somehow he figures out what prescription you need. You basically feel like a moron for awhile because you can’t even read your letters and you’re sure you are failing this test somehow. Then he takes the big machine away and tells you to stare at the letters while he shines a light in your eyes–and blocks the letters with his head which is mere centimeters away from yours. And you meanwhile hold your breath and pray he can’t smell the onions you had on your salad at lunch. …continue reading
