A couple months ago when I was volunteering in Josh's classroom his teacher mentioned that she noticed Josh had been making excuses of getting out of doing his work, he wasn't trying very hard. Whenever it was time for writing he would often make the excuse of having to go to the bathroom or his tummy hurt to get out of doing his work. I talked to him about it and he said it was hard for him to see the words on the board that he was supposed to copy. I told him that he needed to move closer to the white board so he could see the words better. I didn't realize that he literally could not see the words.
Well, he goes on track break, he goes back to school everything is good he says "school is perfect," until the beginning of this week the school nurse calls, Josh is not feeling well, his tummy hurts. We decide over the phone that he is well enough to stay. When he came home from school he tells me that he threw up in his class, I thought it was odd that that the nurse never called me to come and get him. The next day the nurse calls and has Josh in her office again, he told the teacher that he had thrown up at home the night before. Well that wasn't true, but I picked up Josh from school. We talked about him lying to me and the teacher and why he is making excuses to get out of school. He then tells me that his head hurts, his eyes are blurry, and he keeps running into walls at school. I was hesitant to believe him because he had lied about being sick, but I knew by then that something was wrong so yesterday he sees the eye doctor and come to find out Josh has horrible vision. His vision is at an 8. Which for Jason and I who do not wear glasses had no idea what that meant, but it is really bad! I felt horrible, I continue to feel horrible. Besides glasses, we were referred to a pediatric opthamologist for eye therapy! It is just hard to believe that his vision has been so bad and we never picked up on it sooner. There were just never any signs prior to this that we can think of. I also start thinking of all the trips we have taken in the past 6 years of his life, Disneyland, the beach, yellowstone, Knott's Berry Farm, Legoland, did he not see any of it! I am still in shock. And he has to wait 10 days for his glasses to come in! I0 days is an eternity! Oh but wait he has just gone through a year of preschool and a year of kindergarten without being able to see a thing, what's another 10 days! I just can't believe we never had his eyes checked sooner. I am the worst mom ever!! Just get your kids eyes checked if you haven't already!
6 comments:
Ha! You make me feel so much better about forgetting to send Sophia to school with lunch.
Don't feel so bad. Mom and dad did the same thing to me. I was blind for five years before they discovered I needed glasses. Just wait until Josh puts them on and he actually sees clearly for the first time -- he'll be so excited and you'll feel even more guilt!
If it makes you feel any better, you're still a better mom than I am! Love you!
Oh Suzie...you are so not a bad mom. Honestly how could you have known!!! Can't wait to see him in his glasses, he'll be so cute!
OH, man don't be so hard on yourself! i think it is amazing how resiliant josh is to have gone so long without it being a problem. could his eyes have been better & just started getting worse? he's a sweetheart. can't wait to hear the great reacton when he gets his glasses!
To even imagine that yuo are the "worst mom ever" is crazy talk! My parents made the same mistake with me when I was little and I survived so don't feel bad. :)
Oh you aren't the worst mom ever! I didn't get my glasses until I was in college :)
You can't beat yourself up about it. How could you know? Some pediatricians do eye exams at physicals but most don't. Plus, he's only 6. It's not your fault, who knows when his vision started to get bad. Plus, even the school nurse didn't pick up on it, or his teacher. You are a terrific mother, you only have to look at how well behaved and happy your kids are.
~Mandy
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