Friday 29 February 2008

The eyes have it

Sean has been referred to an optician following an eye test at school. It would appear, in my layman's opinion, that he may have an astigmatism in his right eye as he says he can see the letters when he turns his head but not when looking straight at them.

Sounds familiar to me: I got glasses "for reading and close work" at the age of 5 after a similar school test although it was always touch and go whether I really needed them. I can remember doing some binocular test at the Eye Pavilion in Paisley where there was a flowerpot visible through one eye-piece and a flower visible through the other. I was asked whether or not I could see the flower in the flowerpot. I can remember wondering what the right answer was and I said yes, but I'm not convinced that I could. It seemed to be the deciding factor and I was prescribed a lovely pair of NHS spectacles. I remember wishing that I had said no, and then maybe things would have been different.

After ten years the opticians decided the glasses weren't making any difference and I was able to consign them and their vicious finger-trapping case to a drawer. My eyesight still isn't great. I have astigmatisms at different angles in each eye so I can compensate by turning my head slightly. I think I would have been a better cricketer if I had better visual acuity (and stronger arms and more cricket ability...). Lesley said I always used to turn my head when watching television and frown a little when reading. I've certainly noticed Sean frowning a bit too when he's reading.

So, looks like Sean may have my eyes and Finn has eyes like Lesley. It is two years since he began wearing glasses and it is second nature to him. Hopefully Rowan has his mother's hawk-like eyesight. He certainly looks very like her about the eyes, apart from his muddy coloured irises.

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