I suffered from strabismis (I think that's how you spell it) as a baby. I was born was too long of an eye muscle and had several surgeries. For the most part it is fixed, excpet my right eye has a tendency to still float up a little, mostly when I am tired. I wear hard contacts that seem to help a little, and my prescription is tweeked a little to force me to use my right eye more instead of my left eye, which also causes my right eye to float.

I have ALWAYS been so self-conscious. I won't take a picture looking striahgt at the camera (always with my head turned a little so it isn't as obvious) and I won't look people in the eye. Many times people have brought this up to me, that it's disturbing I don't look straight in the eye, and then explain I am very nervous about my floating eye. I Was teased in school all the time for it and was called "lazy eye." Even though I DO NOT have a lazy eye, it is still fully functional, it's just hard to focus with sometimes.

Anyway, I was hoping others have the same problem. I could get surgery, but it'd be purely cosmetic with no guarantees. No one understands me and this flaw has always plauged me and always will. I feel like a freak when other than that I am not bad looking and have a loving husband who swears he never notices. But I do.

Epiphany,

What can I say? Sometimes we can not change the way things are, i.e. having strabismus, but we CAN change the way that we feel about them. As someone else I know with strabismus used to say "Strabismus is a life sentence." What he meant is that although many people with strabismus have surgery, it does not "cure" the condition. You may have had strabismus repair as a child, but you still have (and always will have) strabismus. Sounds to me like DVD (Disassociated Vertical Deviation) which you almost never see in people who haven't had surgery, but is a persistent, difficult to treat problem after surgery for some.

Have you discussed what options you have for changing your RX to help control the deviation better? There may well be a good reason that you are wearing a RX that seems to make it worse, but I think you deserve a coherent explanation of WHY you were given the RX you were and what risks/benefits there may be to changing it. If you are not seeing an ophthalmologist who is very experienced in treating adults with strabismus, you should be.

It saddens me that you are torturing yourself so and allowing this to use up your energy. Please consider finding someone to help you break the habit of avoiding eye contact (which people find very off putting and makes them think you are dishonest) . I was born with "A" pattern exotropia and never had surgery as a child. I have been in a sales position for over 10 years, and can count on one hand the number of comments I've had on my alignment; however, I can guarantee you that I would not have had the success I have had if I did not make eye contact with people. It sounds to me like you have endured much more negativity from people regarding looking at the floor, then I have ever encountered when meeting new people and making eye contact. I did have repair about 2 years ago, but I have to say it hasn't changed anything in my life, other than the fact that on FIRST meeting people they have an easier time deciding where I am looking. It can be such a non issue once you stop worrying about it, it will be worth the effort of learning to let it go. I hope that you will find peace.

Epiphany:

The doctors on the pediatric & strabismus forum get quite annoyed when someone says, "it is only cosmetic". If fixing something "cosmetic" can change your whole attitude towards life and people, there is nothing "only" about it. It's just as much a life-saver as an appendectomy.

Good luck.

Torre

I have strabismus too. I had the surgery when I was a baby. Now that I'm an adult my left eye which is the weaker one has started to drift out. It'll of course do it when I am tired or sick, but it also does it when I am focusing on something near me.

Up until this summer it never really bothered me, but the summer is when I started realizing that it drifts more. It doesn't get me down much, but I don't like it and I want it fixed. Odd thing is, growing up I got way more comments on the alignment of my eyes then I do now. I was supposed to go to the eye doctor today to find about the surgery and all, but I had to postpone the appointment.

Today, I saw another adult with an alignment problem and I have to admit that it really bothered me when I realized that it's how I look.

I do look others in the eye. It's actually something I started doing this year. Give it a shot. It's kind of empowering.

Hi everyone,

I also have strabismus/diplopia (double vision). Or to be more specific esotropia, A-formation.

To compensate for this problem, I wear glasses with prisms in them. A while back, I did an experiment: I put on an old pair of glasses WITHOUT prisms and looked at myself in the mirror.....What I saw was, when I concentrated looking out the left eye, the left eye would look normal in the mirror, but the right eye was pointing towards my nose....arggghh.
Conversely, when I concentrated looking out my right eye, my right eye would look normal and the left eye would be pointing towards the nose, cross-eyed like.
When I wear my usual pair of glasses with prisms, I look right at someone for a few seconds then I look away, over their shoulder, etc. This always happens, bad habit I guess, reflex action. Just my 2.5 cents worth....

Happy New Year to you all,

WarBonds

ps....Shaman, if you're still there, a very Happy New Year to you, my friend. I haven't forgotten your kindness and wonderful advice from the Fall! Thanks so much for being there! :angel:

Interesting. I didn't know about glasses with prisms. Are they a new thing? I wonder how they keep your eyes aligned whereas regular glasses don't. I don't need glasses at all yet.

DBZ,

Prism glasses actually realign the "picture" your eye is seeing, that is the prism bends the light so that the image is moved over. They do not realign your eyes. Warbonds can tell you all about how prisms don't help the situation.

If your deviation is bothering you, then by all means see a couple (or a few) experienced POs and get opinions on surgery. What finally pushed me "over the edge" as it were was getting tired of watching people turn around to see who was standing behind them (no one) that they thought I was talking to. Adults as a general rule, do not make nasty coments about alignement, and aren't bothered by it once they figure out which eye you are focusing with. I guess some people are just REALLY SLOOOOW at figuring it out, and I was getting annoyed waiting for them to get a clue!

I think the important thing is that you realize (which it sounds like you do) that fixing your alignment will not miraculously fix everything wrong in your life, and that your alignment will never be perfect (pretty darn close to perfect, but not perfect). I have read so many sad stories written by people who think that every failure in their lives is caused by strabismus, who are banking on repair making them instantly a different person with perfect eyes. The reality tends to be quite crushing. As with any surgery that changes your appearance (although it is NOT cosmetic but reconstructive) it only enhances who you already were, and does not fix all of your past disapointments or make everyone magicaly like you. Also, although my deviation is extremely small now, I still notice it. No one else but my PO agrees with me that it is there because it is so tiny (my family told me I must be imagining it), but I will always be aware of it because people with strabismus are hypersensitive to their alignment.

The point is, I'm really glad I had the surgery, but I think I went in with realistic expectations. Please choose your surgeon wisely, and get copies of your prior surgery records if possible.

PS Warbonds, I hope that your VT is going better. I keep hoping that you will post that you threw away your prism glasses! I'm going to fire up the DVD player now because I got the Indiana Jones Trilogy for christmas! Me and the dog watching movies for new years.....what a party animal I am LOL

DBZ,

You say you don't need glasses yet or at all? Consider yourself lucky, that's my point of view. Shaman is right: prisms don't correct strabismus, they only compensate.
In fact, prism glasses have made my double vision worse since I started wearing them almost three years ago. Also, I am fully dependent on them. :mad: :mad:
If you are ever told to wear glasses with prisms in them, run out of that doctor's office and get a second opinion.
Avoid prisms !!!!!! That's my (frustrated) opinion!

Shaman,
If, and hopefully when, I am able to throw my prism glasses away, I will most definitely post that news on the boards here. I have put my VT (vision therapy) on hold for the past month. I contacted an ear infection, which led to tinnitus (continuous!), bouts of vertigo and some anxiety. Arggghhhh, just what I needed!
But I will resume the FIGHT to get rid of double vision, hopefully soon.
Double vision is a "monkey" that won't get off my back.
But life goes on..........

WarBonds

This is so strange to find this I always thought I was pretty much alone in this double vision with a drifting eye thing. I have never gotten a name for it but my symtoms match so well I am going to do some research on this. My left eye drifts out when I am tired or when I sit with a window on my left or when I am really trying to concentrate. I have had this since birth but never has surgery as the said it would be concidered cosmetic and not covered by insurance. My old eye Dr. told me I see double all the time although I am not aware of it since I have never seen otherwise by brain just deletes one of the images. This plays a little havoc on my hand eye cordination you would not want to be my partner in tennis. The vision in my left eye is alot worse then my right eye also. There is now so big a difference that my glasses don't really help anymore since if they make each eye correct rx it drives me insane. I don't think I want to try the prism glasses. Am going to see if contacts can help any better I have avoided them to this point because I do not like the idea of putting anything in my eyes.

And I have a question that may seem strange but if anyone know what I am talking about I would appreciate knowing.
The is/was a vision test when you were suppose to tell if the ball was in the box or out of the box the only way I can make even a guess is to change which eye i am looking out of very fast and make a good guess as I can not see both the ball and the box at the same time. Anyone else every taken this test or something similar?

frosty,

You are definitely not alone. Worldwide, between 2-4% of the population has strabismus of one form or another.

Strabismus repair is NOT cosmetic it is reconstructive. It should be covered under your insurance if for no other reason than you have double vision.

Contacts may well improve your situation, but you need to be certain that you are being seen by an ophthalmologist who has extensive experience treating adults with strabismus. The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS for short) keeps a list of members. If your Dr. is not listed among them, I would seriously consider changing to one who is. Don't get me wrong, I love both my optometrist and my regular ophthalmologist, but neither one of them knows 5% as much about strabismus as my PO (pediatric ophthalmologist) who works with children (and adults) who have strabismus every day.

Changing RX can have ramifications for those with strabismus, so you need to be certain you are working with someone who understands not only the short-term outcomes but also the possible long-term effects.

As to the test that you are describing, I am only guessing that it must be some sort of depth perception (stereo vision) test. Sometimes people with strabismus and amblyopia have better peripheral vision in their "bad" eye and can actually achieve a sort of strange "depth perception" when using that as opposed to their central vision. Maybe you are achieving brief alignment and thus stereovision when you switch eyes. Who knows? I have always failed all of those tests and always will.

Please do not just settle for double vision and being told surgery would only be cosmetic. If it bothers you, then get a consult with a qualified PO and find out what your options are. Do not let empty threats of your insurance not paying for it stop you.

Shaman,
Thank you so much for your information. This is something I have had to live with since birth and figured I always would but thanks to you giving it a name I have been able to do some research and have found incredible information I never knew. I already have decided not to go back to the eye dr that I got my most recent glasses from as I am convinced they have made my vision worse faster than anything else. It is so refreshing to know this is not just something I (meaning me alone) was born with.
Cyber hugs from Michigan and again Thank You.

Frosty,

just to re-echo Shaman's remark: you are NOT alone, believe me. It may feel that you are alone, as so few people have these problems and if they do have these probs, they keep tight-lipped about it. I have worked with several hundred people over the past many years, and not one ever mentioned eye problems, due to double vision, strabismus, etc. Very few people will tell you that they even wear contacts....so eye discussions are few and very far between. Also, no one I work with knows I have double vision/strabismus, and I will never tell them, for personal reasons.
I can relate to you completely that one of your eye floats when your're tired. I have this prob too, if I am watching TV really late and am tired, I begin to see 2 of everything for a while or so, even with prism glasses on. The images go from single to double temporarily in this case...Time to go to bed :)

And speaking of prism glasses, I suffer from diplopia (double vision) and I wear prism glasses. On many other threads, I have related this point ad nauseum, all I need is the violin music now! :rolleyes:
Do yourself a favor and AVOID !!! prisms in glasses! They do not correct the situation at all. In my case, the prisms made it worse....my double vision became more pronounced/worse to the point I am fully dependent on them. If I ever broke the glasses, I would be totally scre....wed, sorry to say. That's my opinion from experience.
Also, prism glasses tend to be "thick" and heavy, a cosmetic nightmare, by the way.
Enough rabbling for now and I hope you correct your problems satisfactorily and if you are ever unhappy with any doctor's prognosis, get a SECOND opinion. Follow your gut feeling, I wish I did!!

Good Night

WarBonds :yawn: