Miss E recently had her annual ophthalmology appointment. Things were pretty routine until the last few minutes, when we learned that our just-turned-8-year-old girl is officially near sighted. Her ophthalmologist told us back in 2018 that we might eventually be having the glasses conversation. And here we were.
Dr. R demonstrated what Miss E’s vision is like up close, and then at a distance. Wow. No wonder she’s been frustrated when watching TV and sitting in church. Total blur. I’ve never worn glasses, so when I experienced what she’s NOT been seeing, it was clear.
Glasses. STAT.
But could we keep them on? Sunglasses have always caused us trouble. Dr. R said that kids of all motor abilities can tolerate glasses well because clear vision is just that great an incentive. So with Miss E’s fresh-off-the-printer prescription in hand, we went shopping.
Many children with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome have a small head and face, so infant frames were a must. That made our first stop fruitless. Only standard-sized kid frames there. Luckily, the second stop had a few to choose from… and the nicest tech on the planet. Big bonus.
It was really exciting! I mean, Miss E was getting a brand new look. What style would she like? Would she want colored frames? Or, wait. Maybe we should manage our expectations. There might only be one pair that stays put... One by one, we gave them a go. It was all a bit like Goldie Locks and the Framed Squares.
The first pair: Too… colonial?
The second pair: Too big.
The third pair: Waaaay too small.
Goodness. Were we getting any closer to a good fit? Her sisters were pretty busy playing hide-and-go-seek and trying on different looks, so not a lot of help there….
A pink and a purple pair sat untouched in the tech’s box of options. I crossed my fingers and toes. Miss E’s favorite color use to be purple, and as of late, it’s pink. (You may recall she chose Pinkalicious as her Halloween costume this past year.)
The tech reached for the rosy hued pair. We put them on and Miss E gave them a discerning look…
The fit was great!
What do you think? I asked Miss E.
With her PODD book, she told me to turn the page, then pointed right to…
BEAUTIFUL.
Score! Not only did we have frames… we had frames that she loved. They won’t be in for another week or so, but until then, this smile is a reminder that my birthday girl’s feelings about her new look for 2020 are completely clear.
