Diplopia

A fun word to say, probably not so fun to have unless it is voluntary.


When you are a child, you can just compensate by ignoring the image from the weaker eye. But the problem doesn’t go away. Can you say Strabismus or Amblyopia? Treatment when I was a child consisted of the judicious use of eye patches to help strengthen the weak eye, but it didn’t help socially (and the very thick bifocals on top of the patch only enhanced the aberration).

My remaining thought about diplopia is that Foreigner was smart to use the more common term in its song title.






I have to stop listening to the Oldies station in the car.

Comments

Jenn Casey said…
BTDT! Wore patches and did therapy. Had corrective surgery at age 5. So did my sis, only she wore bifocals for a while and got to have a 2nd surgery as a teen.

I'll see if I dig up a picture or two. I know there are some lovely eyepatch pics. Aaaarrrrrr, Matey!

Haven't heard that song in ages.... :o)
February 18, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Lynne said…
My patches were flesh-colored self-adhesive numbers - just to add that little something extra freakish, like, "Is that girl missing an eye?"

I'm sure I have a patch picture somewhere and it is NOT pretty.

No surgery for me, which may explain why after years of little to no sign of the problem, it's coming back.

"Hey, lady! Who you lookin' at?"

I think I'll be wearing the decorative patch soon. Maybe that's part of reason I find "Talk Like a Pirate Day" so entertaining!
February 18, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Jenn Casey said…
Yes! Same patches! I still remember what they smelled like and how cruddy with dirt and lint they'd get. Had major deja vu when at age 22, during a bout of Bell's Palsy, I got to wear them again at night. Hadn't changed a bit.

Love the designer patch idea. Why not look spiffy?
February 18, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Lynne said…
And the way they slightly curled up at the edges when they became gross with the day's crud and non-sticky! Add the thick bifocals, a runny nose, a boy's haircut and you've got one mighty fine looking second-grader there.

Oh man! Good times. Yup. Good times.
February 18, 2009 at 2:28 PM
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