Strabismus?

About six months ago, my husband and I started to notice that one of M's eyes turned inward when she focused on objects at a distance.  As our awareness increased, we noticed that her left eye was the culprit and seemed to turn inward not only viewing distances but also close up.

We made an appointment with the ophthalmologist who examined M's eyes and diagnosed her with Strabismus.  Stabismus is a visual defect in which the eyes are misaligned and point in different directions.  The eye turn may be constant, or it may come and go (as in M's case).  More specifically M has a common type of strabismus called Accommodative Esotropia which occurs in children usually 2 years or older.  In this type of strabismus, when M focuses her eyes to see clearly, her left eye turns inward.  This crossing may occur when focusing at a distance, up close, or both.

Glasses reduce the focusing effort and often straighten the eyes.  So far, this seems to be working.  The doctor said that M's correction is rather strong and that she will most likely wear glasses all her life.  Typically a child will not outgrow strabismus, however, improvement can occur and in M's case, with as strong a correction as she has, she would be around 14 years of age or so.  Of course this is all guess work and only time will tell.

For now we are attempting to get M comfortable with her glasses, which is a slow going process.  As a parent, especially one who hasn't yet needed glasses, it is difficult to know how to make this transition easier for her.  She seems to go as the mood takes her and some days she'll request her glasses and other days strongly object to them.
 
I have been struggling emotionally with the fact that my beautiful daughter needs to wear glasses at such a young age.  This is part foolish vanity and part heartache for my girl.  I know how cruel and thoughtless children and even adults can be.  I have prayed through this and in answer to my prayer, God put a friend in my life just recently whose son is 3 and a half years old and is going through a similar need for glasses.  Just knowing that I'm not alone, or the only mother anxious about this, is a tremendous encouragement to me.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  (Psalm 139:14)