text: Balancing On One Foot: A Rite of Passage...
  In light of all the crazy things that are going on around me, I thought I would keep it simple and just write about Ayla's new patch.
  Eye patch. This has nothing to do with pirates or a new fashion statement.
  Her condition, called amblyopia, is definitely something she can thank me for! Some eye problems run on Gregory's side of the family - but this specific "lazy eye" that wasn't that lazy to begin with - is my fault. I had amblyopia that was very severe and really, still is pretty bad. I was almost legally blind in my left eye. It is something that can be fixed at a young age, but once our eyes have stopped growing (growing eyes? gross!), we are stuck with our given prescription. The reason mine became so bad is that neither of my eyes wandered but my brain continued to support and use my good eye far more than my weaker eye. And without the attention of my brain... the eye just stopped working. And how did I pass my eye exams until I was six years old? I cheated. I was nervous about failing them and would always peek from behind the paddle when my left eye was being tested. But the nurse busted me in elementary school and I was taken to a very good doctor. The use of an eye patch and ridiculously thick glasses helped everything improve. I'm still really pathetic if I try to rely solely on my left eye... for example, they would revoke my license immediately if anything happened to my right eye. I can barely make out the header on my own blog when I cover my right eye. But oh well, right? The only thing it has restricted me from doing is getting a commercial driver's license. My truck-driving dreams have been dashed.
  A lazy eye that wanders or looks different is easy to diagnose. But it wasn't until Ayla failed two eye exams (her first two, in fact) that we took her to the pediatric eye specialist. Amblyopia was diagnosed and here I am, battling for 2-3 hours of patch time every day.
  Our "agreement" that she can only play on the computer while wearing the patch is working out much better than expected. The first day I tried to make her wear it, she screamed over and over that she "couldn't see ANYTHING!" I started to think that they had gotten her prescription wrong. The other day, she cried so much up in her bed that she totally soaked the patch. It was very sad.
  But the awesome designs are really helpful and tonight she wore the patch for at least two hours after getting off of the computer. She didn't mention it or even notice it until we were getting into the bath. Thank God for small favors. She may scream at me about everything else - clothes, brushing her hair, how much I hurt her feelings when I tell her not to draw on the wall with markers - but if she wears the patch and avoids near-blindless like her mother? That's all I can hope for.