An eye problem caused by diabetes, called diabetic retinopathy, is the number one cause of blindness in adults in the United States., If your child has diabetes then his or her blood sugar levels are too high. High blood sugar can damage nerves or blood vessels over time. Diabetic retinopathy happens when the tiny blood vessels inside the retina are damaged from high blood sugar. The damage that can occur may include blood vessels swelling and leaking fluid or new abnormal blood vessels may grow... more

Is there something different about your adopted child’s eyes, especially in photographs? I was reading about the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s child of the month recently. Her name is Jaylynn and her mother noticed that Jaylynn’s eyes looked different in photographs. The nine-month-old’s eyes took on a yellowish reflection in her photos. Sometimes her eyes would cross. Her mother took her to the doctor, who referred her to specialist who discovered the tumors, and referred her to the Mayo clinic. Jaylynn was diagnosed... more

Each day I wonder what I’m accomplishing. As a formerly goal-oriented person, I’m used to having my days mapped out with a “to do” list that I check off and feel as if I’ve accomplished something. I am also used to looking back over my scheduling book and seeing progress.

In the world of parenting and teaching LuLu, there are days where nothing on any list gets accomplished. The past two days have definitely fallen into that category. Actually, we have accomplished something, school wise, but it has not been what I’ve hoped for. My hope (which feels more like the... more

Our four year old seems to have a body chemistry that attracts bees. She has been stung twice at school on two different days and several times while playing outside at home. One bee sting that she received was in the middle of her forehead. Her forehead swelled and almost looked like a baseball, cut in half, had been placed under her skin. The swelling was also surrounding her eyes. She looked like one of the alien races on the television series Star Trek Voyager.

The bee stings didn’t affect her breathing, so the pediatrician wasn’t concerned. I was giving her... more

The seventeen year drove his motorcycle to a performance he was in this evening, the teen girls convinced him he should be an actor in this play, and he was like a poor innocent animal being led to slaughter when he succumbed to their begging. He has put in probably a hundred hours of practice for this production, which is fine. Since we homeschool I just gave him credit for a drama class. Then I took the rest of the children to see the play, as a school field trip, and we all really enjoyed it, including the baby who surprisingly stared with wide eyed interest throughout the... more

Dear Abby dedicated an entire column this week to Convergence Insufficiency Disorder which is a legitimate, problematic binocular dysfunction. It is a reading disorder where the eyes drift too much inward or outward when trying to focus to read, which in turn causes eye strain making it very difficult to study. Apparently people with this disorder have to reread the same line of words and frequently loose their place because the words seem to jump or float across the page while they are trying to read. The psychological... more

I’ve already received my share of criticism for allowing my seventeen year old son to buy a motorcycle. It’s not just a motorcycle; it’s actually a “crotch rocket,” a Ninja and its brand spanking new. I believe it had one mile on it when we loaded it up in the van. Even Super Dad II said, “What are you thinking?” Ok, here is my motherly logic. He has been employed at the same job for 15 months; so he’s earned and saved the money to buy it. If we said, “NO,” what do you think would happen the day he turns 18? He also drove a moped... more

I’ve always admired parents whose children are medically fragile or who have some chronic medical conditions that require frequent visits to doctors and hospitals. But this week, I really admire them.

Despite any plans I’ve had to the contrary, this week is officially “doctor week” around here. It started Sunday night in the ER, then 4 hours at the pediatrician’s on Monday. Tuesday was spent with the school psychologist and trying to contact the pediatric GI specialist.

Today was LuLu’s eye exam. This was the only scheduled appointment of the week.... more

One of my sons is seventeen and a really great guy with a lot of friends. He’s gone on mission’s trips, shot paintball and rode dirt-bikes with friends, and been employed for over a year. I’m not sure any of his friends or coworkers know that he is dyslexic. We tried several techniques while he was in elementary to help him with his reading skills and reversals in his writing. But there is no easy fix; it’s a long hard road and a lot of work.

One summer he completed a ten week course in Vision Therapy. He had two, one hour... more

Three of my children have completed a ten week session of vision therapy in the past. Each child worked one on one with a different therapist, for a one hour session twice a week. Prior to beginning therapy each child had a complete eye exam. Each child was given “homework” which consisted of memorization and tracking exercises. The memorization was learning all the presidents of the United States by looking at a rather unique; cartoon type drawing that fit them all onto one page. The home tracking exercises consisted of a... more