Adult, Strabismus, Acquired Brain Injury
I had a stroke on Father’s Day 2015 that left me with double vision and corresponding loss of depth perception. I could not drive and had to patch one of my eyes in order to work. Fortunately I was able to get an appointment with my optometrist before the end of June. He prescribed prism glasses to help with the double vision, in fact, I needed three pairs of glasses because the degree of double vision varied by distance. With the prism glasses, I was able to see in order to drive again, but because I could not accurately judge distance, I never felt comfortable behind the wheel. Understanding the demands of my career, my optometrist recommended that I contact Impact Vision Therapy in the hopes that I could get back to my original prescription. My job requires that I read and process information very quickly, travel to customer sites for presentations, and create reports for leadership teams across my company. I met with Dr. Watt in mid-July. He confirmed the diagnosis “Alternating Esotropia with Diplopia”. Basically, my eyes no longer worked together so they were sending inconsistent images to my brain and since my brain had relied on input from both eyes for over 50 years, the result was double vision. Dr. Watt was very patient with my questions and optimistic that vision therapy exercises would help me learn how to see without the aid of prisms. My therapists, Kathy and Margaret, were so patient and kind and full of encouragement as I was often discouraged with my progress. I just wanted my eyes to work! There were a couple of plateaus during my seven month journey, and just as I was ready to accept the reality of my situation, Kathy and Margaret would use a different activity that would help me understand what I needed to do to continue improving. I am happy to report that I am able to see without the aid of prisms and can even enjoy 3-D movies! I will forever be thankful for the team at Impact Vision Therapy. -Melody