Pre-Surgery VT – Page 5 – Strabismus Solutions

You can read about last week's appointment here. I got hit in the face with a soccer ball and learned how to straighten my eyes, this week it became a bit of an obsession. How Did the Last Two Weeks Go? I was assigned the "pola-mirror" exercise this week and started having some success with it. I put on the polar glasses that I use with my vectograph and look in a mirror. If I can manage to see with both eyes, then both lenses will appear "see-through." If I look with just my left or right eye alone, one side is clear and one side is black. It is fantastic feedback on what my eyes are doing! I tried it at a variety of distances, anywhere from 2 inches from the mirror to 30 feet away. I discovered that far away I could try to make both eyes see, but everything was so blurry I couldn't tell what was going on. If I stood about two feet away from the mirror and engaged both eyes, I saw double. So I was seeing two clear lenses, but I also saw two black ones. I realized that if I went right up to the mirror I could see one set of glasses with both lenses clear. That first time was so exciting! Now I'm getting it down. It takes a ton of concentration, but I can do it and the images are clear. My eyes also go straight when I do it. So every day I start right up next to the mirror and then slowly try to pull away, increasing the distance from the mirror before it doubles. It's all started an obsession with making my eyes straight. I've spent too much time in front of the mirror and behind the camera trying to straighten my eyes. Here are a few different pictures of me as I try to align and straighten my eyes. I'm gaining some control, but I definitely haven't mastered it yet. After talking to Dr. Dan today, I've realized that I'm worrying about the wrong thing. I keep thinking that if my eyes are straight, then they will see together, but it's the opposite. As I focus on opening my peripheral vision and engaging both eyes they will see together and my brain will naturally straighten them. I need to keep the focus on peripheral, the alignment will come with time. How Did the Appointment Go? I had my husband drive me to and from my appointment this week so I was able to really go for it and push hard! Yoked Prism I started out working with the yoked prisms. I walked down a straight line, tried to juggle, and tried to catch bean bags as I walked all while wearing strong prisms. It was pretty challenging, but got easier when I tried to be aware of everything in my peripheral. VTS4 Next we went to the computer room for some work on stereopsis. Each time I go, I get a little better. The progress is so slow and it is hard to be patient, but there is always a little glimmer of hope. My big success today happened when the ring was supposed to be coming towards me. I was tapping the screen and my eyes locked on together and the ring popped out of the screen. I tried to reach for the ring and actually went to reach behind it. This was a huge moment for me because usually my logical brain doesn't want to believe the possibility that the ring can leave the screen, but I actually felt like I was reaching behind it. Babysteps for the win! Rivalry After my brain couldn't take anymore stereopsis we spent a few minutes on rivalry with red/green glasses. I wear the glasses and look at a white board and try to blend the colors. The feedback is so tough! The difference in color isn't huge so I can't really tell if I'm doing it, and Dr. Dan can't tell either. The pola-mirror activity feels similar, but the feedback is so much more concrete. The lens is either black or clear. It's easy to see the difference. VR Today VR was a bit of a flop. The computer would connect to the headset and then the headset would freeze up and we would have to restart. After three rounds of the shenanigans, I just did it without the special adjustments from the computer. It was fine but was exactly what I can do at home so it felt a little pointless. Hide and Seek Eye Stretches While the VR rebooted we worked on the activity I did a couple months ago, "hide and seek eye stretches." I look at a pen, close my eyes, open again and try to be looking directly at the pen. It is super simple, but pretty difficult for me to do. It is great to practice because it helps me recognize where my eyes are pointing and make adjustments. Homework OKN Stripes – Continue 1-2 minutes daily with both eyes togetherPola Mirror – Wear Polarized glasses and look into a mirror. Focus on getting both eyes working so that both sides appear clear. Add in head movements to stimulate the VOR Vestibular Ocular Reflex.VR Occulus GO- Spend more time, 10-20 minutes, each day. Focus on slow-moving videos or VR experiences where I can stop and relax my eyes. Gem Vectograph – Hold at A and tap the center, trying to see the 3D, then hold at 1 and try to see the 3D. Do this with and without my prism glasses on. Add on balancing on one foot during the exercises.Yoked Prism- Keep stretching my brain with different activities with the yoked prism. Try juggling or playing Kubb outside while wearing them. Change the direction of the prism 2 times each day.Hide and Seek Eye Stretches I felt super nauseous all afternoon and just wanted to close my eyes and sleep, which I take as a fabulous sign! I gave my brain a good workout and I was feeling it. It's all part of the journey. You can read about my next appointment here.