Eventful day

My mum and I took the kids to Canvey Island today. It's not the greatest beach in the world, far from it, but the kids had a great time and that's the main thing. The weather was a bit iffy this morning; bright sunshine one minute and dark clouds the next but after lunch it really brightened up. The sea air must have done wonders for Danielle and Charlie's appetites too - I've never seen either of them put away so much food lol.

Then, this afternoon it was optician's appts all round. Casey wears glasses for reading/computer work/tv and it's been 2 years since her last check up - she now needs new ones that are slightly stronger. She was over the moon because she had her eyes on a snazzy new pair lol. John needs a stonger prescription (he only wears them for reading etc too) and I now need glasses for similar things. Eeeeeek! While we were there, I asked whether we should get the younger kids tested and the optician (lovely lady who spoke in words that I could actually understand instead of overloading me with jargon) recommended that they could be tested from age 4 and that she would test Danielle there and then.

So, one very nervous little girl clambered into the huuuuge optician's chair and the fun began. The lady was brilliant and Danielle was soon at ease and found the whole thing a game. I did have to laugh (but was slightly embarassed) when she was wearing those big plastic glasses that they slip the lenses into and she said at the top of her voice "Do I look like a div in these?" Oooops - I blame Casey lol.

Anyway, the upshot is that she needs to wear glasses full time; I was completely shocked because we never had any clue that she was experiencing any problems. The optician was great and explained at great length the problem. In short, she is long sighted but her right eye is a lot weaker than her left. Her brain is compensating for that eye (hence Danielle notices no difference) but, if nothing is done, it will eventually stop bothering and she will have no vision at all in her right eye. That, of course, would be disastrous if, god forbid, anything happened to her left eye. They're starting her on a weak prescription, about half the strength she actually needs, and will see her every 3 mths to adjust the lenses so that, within a year (maybe less) it's up to full strength. The optician showed me just how strong the prescription is that she needs and I was shocked - the whole room was a blur. The brain can do such a good job of compensating that Danielle can see the same WITH the strong lenses as she can without - how bizarre!

Are you still awake? I said I would be brief, and believe it or not I have lol. I'm just so relieved that we decided to test her now because we hadn't planned to. So, a few words of advice if you've never got your child's eyes tested - do it, even if you think their sight is ok; you just never know.

We go to pick up her glasses tomorrow - thank heavens the nhs has come a long way since I was a kid. She's picked a coolio pair of Barbie glasses and she is soooooo pleased to be getting them. Let's hope it stays that way....... I will, naturally, be taking pics of them asap!!