This comment came in from Karen.  I wanted to put it up as a regular post so that everyone can see it because it’s such a helpful and interesting story.  Karen got glasses at 19 months, and writes about growing up with high myopia and glasses.  – Ann Z

I am writing just to reassure some of you. I was diagnosed as a high myope at 19 months. My mother reported that she had questions about my vision at about 9 months old because I would run my nose along her blouse to see the flowers. She said she thought it was strange that I would cry when any furniture was moved. I would run my nose on the back of the “little golden books” to “find the doggie.” She actually used this as an example to show the pediatrician when he kept telling her all babies hold things close. When he saw this he changed his mind and sent us to a pediatric opthamologist.

I have had a stable -10 in both eyes since I was a baby. I was prescribed a little blue pair of glasses. I did not take them off when I was first fitted.   My mother said I wore them all day from the beginning. The only concerns I, personally, had as a child were a fear of having a fire or tornado where I would lose my glasses (I felt helpless without them), wishing terribly that I could wear the cool sunglasses made for kids, and how to combat the incessant teasing at school because of the strong prescription.

I went into gas permeable contacts at age 11 and loved them from the beginning. I can see so much better than with glasses. When I first got contact lenses I thought our fish in our fish tank had grown because contact lenses do not make things look smaller like high prescription lenses do. I lost contact lenses a lot. I lost them playing outside, riding bikes, swimming, and skateboarding, but my parents, thankfully, kept replacing them. (A vision budget is a must). Contacts have been the best! If I could have had them earlier I would have, in a second. I have even had a couple of eye injuries from my contact lenses when I was hit with a tennis ball and when I got kicked while jumping on the bed. The accidents caused the contact to cut my eyeball, which did not cause anything more than a small cut. It healed fine, and I still wouldn’t trade wearing contacts for glasses. I have glasses, but only for when my eyes are resting from contacts.  I have looked into Lasik which doesn’t look like an option right now. I have read that vision through gas permeable lenses is better than Lasik.

Keep in mind that even with a high myopia diagnosis kids can have a great time and will manage with the sight they have. And remember to buy them a pair of cool sunglasses!!