Growing Up with a Lazy Eye: Amblyopia is Not That Big of a Setback

Amblyopia (often referred to as "lazy eye") is a condition where one eye has greatly reduced vision compared to the other eye. This can be caused by many things, but it can often be corrected in childhood. After that, it's much more difficult to correct. If not treated, the lazy eye will in effect, become blind.

I was diagnosed with amblyopia at the age of 7. Sometime during the 1st grade, the school tested our vision. Before this, I had never had an eye exam. With one eye, I was able to read the chart down to the very last line. My vision was better than 20/20. But then it came time to test the other eye. I struggled to remember what letters I had just read earlier. I could not even see the famous big E. A short while later, the school sent my parents a note saying that I needed to see an eye doctor.

At the eye doctor, I was given a couple of different tests that I can't really remember. The part I remember was that suddenly I had to wear glasses. But that wouldn't have been so bad by itself. I not only had to wear glasses, I had to wear a patch over my good eye! I was already a skinny kid who got picked on for my hand-me-down clothes. I hated that patch. That patch did absolutely nothing for my social life. However, it did get me extra free cookies at the market from the nice bakery ladies.

Fast forward a few years later, and in the 3rd grade I was no longer wearing a patch. This treatment wasn't working for me. Surgery wasn't as common back then, and besides, my family had no health insurance anyway. The eye doctor continued to give me glasses. He often told me I would someday never have to wear glasses again, because the problem would be cured. Even as a kid I knew this was a lie (or at least, it would be a lie with this guy as my eye doctor). This was the only recommended eye doctor in our area for amblyopia. I never saw why he was so good. In any case, I kept getting new glasses all the time. But no matter how thick the plastic was over my bad eye, it simply did not turn on for me to use it.