Hadassah Eye Exam

A year after Raphaela's eye exam, as part of the larger investigation of her late walking, we returned to Hadassah Hospital this afternoon for her follow-up exam.  The doctor was running 45 minutes late, and I found that disturbing for a Pediatric Opthamologist with a waiting room full of active and over-tired children.  (As a Chiropractor, I hate making my patients wait even five minutes past the scheduled time, especially those who arrive with younger ones.)

Ultimately, Raphaela was examined and re-examined by both Dr. Veronica and Dr. Hadass, and they both came to the same conclusion:  Raphaela has 20/30 vision with astigmatism.  Practically it means that before she reaches the First Grade she will most surely need eye glasses, since the astigmatism is atypical for a child her age.

The good news?  The astigmatism is the same measurement in both eyes and is still small enough so as not to be considered clinically significant, an emergency.  Dr. Hadass felt comfortable enough with the situation to recommend that we wait one year to start the process of correction with glasses.

AND Raphaela got a Barbie sticker from the doctor, possibly the best part of the visit.  We are very into Barbie lately, and when Raphaela enters her teens and starts going to the mall with her friends, my credit card will be crying fashionista tears.

I love my daughter, and will love her no less if we must find her lovely fashionable eye wear. Some small part of me feels disappointed that now she cannot become a fighter pilot in the Israeli army.

 Her clear vision represents the key to her growth and confidence, and most certainly her ability to excel in school.  I suppose on some level I blame myself for having given her that genetic inheritance; I needed glasses and then contact lenses from age 12, though my astigmatism only appeared as an adult, after I gave birth to Raphaela.

After our hospital adventure, we took a bus back towards the center of town (the bus, another adventure!), where we had a light dinner (dinner downtown for the first time ever, another adventure!).  Because of the traffic hassles due to the secret meetings of the new Secretary of State John Kerry, Raphaela and I started walking.  For a kid who started only at 20 months, she did a phenomenal job, walking skipping and jumping from the center of town of Jerusalem, down Aza Road and all the way the home;  that route can take up to 45 minutes at a decent pace, and Raphaela accomplished it like a pro.

We will be walking more than usual for the next three days, when President Obama arrives and shuts down most of the streets of Jerusalem, five days before Pessach...