Never have.
Both of my eyes work. Somewhere along the line, however, those two images are not combined. They remain separate. I have double vision. I've had it my entire life. When I tell someone new that I have double vision, they usually ask questions such as, "Isn't that weird?" or "How do you do that?" But for me, double vision is my 'normal'. It's all I have ever known. Because the images do not come together to form one three dimensional image, I also lack depth perception. I live in a 2D world. Watch me closely .... I'll go to pick up a pen, and I'll have to reach for it two or three times before I grab it. I'll reach for a glass, and I'll completely miss it. I'll have to try again. It's not a problem for me. Again, it's how I've always been. I'll usually do it so quickly, most people won't even notice.
I also have Marcus Gunn Syndrome.
Marcus Gunn phenomenon - NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research ...
Growing up the Marcus Gunn got me lots of gum. Kids would give me gum just to watch my eye move as I chewed. Some of my friends thought this was horribly mean, but to me, it meant free gum.
Thankfully for me, one of the best opthamologists in her day was in Houston. And thankfully for me, my mom found her. I have no idea how my mom found her or how my mom afforded her and my surgeries, but I know my mom did. I was a kid, it wasn't my job to worry about such things. My job was just to go and do what I was told. And I LOVED going to the eye doctor. I'm not sure how many of y'all spent time at an eye specialist as a child, but it was fun. Basically I got to watch cartoons as the doctor observed my eyes watching those cartoons. OK, I can do that. We'd play games where she would have what was supposed to be three dimensional images, and she would tell me to pick up the item that was standing out. Ummmm. What? Hmmmm. That one is harder. Nothing is standing out, but I'll try.
I remember having my surgeries, but little else. I suppose, being a typical mom, my mom worried about me and my eyesight if anything 'went wrong'. And I know my sister was upset, because after the surgeries, I would be sleeping with blood oozing out of my eyes. That made my sister so sad, but I don't remember any of that. I slept through it. (ha!)
At some point in my late teens or early twenties, I tried prisms. Some people with double vision find they help. I did not like them AT ALL, and I never wore them. I much preferred my way of seeing. At least I was used to my way.
Somewhere around my late thirties or early forties, my mom decided I needed to have my eyes checked again. I was the mom who took her kids to the doctors, but rarely took myself. I'm fine. I'll make an appointment later. I'll get around to it. My mom heard that for so long that she decided that she would have to make my appointment for me. She did. At Baylor College of Medicine's Opthamology Department Double Vision Specialists. I went.
While I am being examined, the Doctor keeps saying things such as "Hmmmm." "Wow." "Huh?" "Hmmmm."
I spoke up and said, "Um, When I am at Baylor College of Medicine's Opthamology Department Double Vision Specialists, I do not expect to hear 'Hmmm.', 'Wow.' and 'Huh.'. I expect to hear, 'been there, done that."
To which the Doctor replied, "Oh, no. I've never seen this." She went on to explain that in most people with double vision, even though both eyes work independently instead of as a team, there is usually at least a pattern. a rhyme. a reason. It makes sense. She said with my eyes there was no pattern and absolutely nothing working together. My eyes were just absolutely independent of one another. She'd never seen anything like me. Great. Fun. Besides the double vision, my actual vision was fine. Both eyes do work. I can see.
Years pass, and I haven't been to an opthamologist, so I decide perhaps I should go and get my eyes checked. Today was my appointment.
As the girl was taking all of my information, I mentioned that I had double vision. She simply replied, "I know." I must have looked at her quizzically, because she said, "Your eyes are not working together. I can tell." Oh. OK.
The Doctor comes in and examines my eyes. He asks if my double vision is side to side or top and bottom. (side to side)
He asks if my eyes were crossed or went out. He asks if I remembered. I told him that I did remember. My eyes went out, because I had to exercise and exercise to learn how to cross my eyes. He laughed and said, "Doctors do love to make you do that, don't they?" yup.
He asks if driving is a problem. Driving? no. ...... parking. That's another story. The Doctor says, "No depth perception. Please do me a favor. Do not ever park by my truck." I laughed. I said, "I never park by anyone. I'm that car that is way off in the parking lot at the Wal-Mart. I figure I can always use the exercise anyway." He liked that answer. I told him my cousin (she has double vision as well) and I have often laughed about how fun it is driving at night with ALL those lights coming at us. (Next time you're driving at night, think about all the lights you see, and then double that....fun!)
He told me that my left eye is a bit far sighted, but he asks, "You don't really use your left eye do you?"
--Nope.
"You over-compensate for your left eye with your right eye, right?"
--Yes.
"And that works for you."
--Yes.
"As long as that is working for you, keep doing whatever you've been doing."
I told him that sometimes people think it's weird or must be hard for me to have double vision, but that it is the only way I've ever seen. As I learned and grew, I adjusted to my world and my 'normal'. He agreed and we talked about how resilient a child's brain is and how that brain will overcompensate in stronger areas to take up the slack of the weaker ones.
So ........... I'm still not old. No bifocals for this young gal. My eyes may be messed up, but my vision is good!!
Marcus Gunn phenomenon - NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research ...
Growing up the Marcus Gunn got me lots of gum. Kids would give me gum just to watch my eye move as I chewed. Some of my friends thought this was horribly mean, but to me, it meant free gum.
Thankfully for me, one of the best opthamologists in her day was in Houston. And thankfully for me, my mom found her. I have no idea how my mom found her or how my mom afforded her and my surgeries, but I know my mom did. I was a kid, it wasn't my job to worry about such things. My job was just to go and do what I was told. And I LOVED going to the eye doctor. I'm not sure how many of y'all spent time at an eye specialist as a child, but it was fun. Basically I got to watch cartoons as the doctor observed my eyes watching those cartoons. OK, I can do that. We'd play games where she would have what was supposed to be three dimensional images, and she would tell me to pick up the item that was standing out. Ummmm. What? Hmmmm. That one is harder. Nothing is standing out, but I'll try.
I remember having my surgeries, but little else. I suppose, being a typical mom, my mom worried about me and my eyesight if anything 'went wrong'. And I know my sister was upset, because after the surgeries, I would be sleeping with blood oozing out of my eyes. That made my sister so sad, but I don't remember any of that. I slept through it. (ha!)
At some point in my late teens or early twenties, I tried prisms. Some people with double vision find they help. I did not like them AT ALL, and I never wore them. I much preferred my way of seeing. At least I was used to my way.
Somewhere around my late thirties or early forties, my mom decided I needed to have my eyes checked again. I was the mom who took her kids to the doctors, but rarely took myself. I'm fine. I'll make an appointment later. I'll get around to it. My mom heard that for so long that she decided that she would have to make my appointment for me. She did. At Baylor College of Medicine's Opthamology Department Double Vision Specialists. I went.
While I am being examined, the Doctor keeps saying things such as "Hmmmm." "Wow." "Huh?" "Hmmmm."
I spoke up and said, "Um, When I am at Baylor College of Medicine's Opthamology Department Double Vision Specialists, I do not expect to hear 'Hmmm.', 'Wow.' and 'Huh.'. I expect to hear, 'been there, done that."
To which the Doctor replied, "Oh, no. I've never seen this." She went on to explain that in most people with double vision, even though both eyes work independently instead of as a team, there is usually at least a pattern. a rhyme. a reason. It makes sense. She said with my eyes there was no pattern and absolutely nothing working together. My eyes were just absolutely independent of one another. She'd never seen anything like me. Great. Fun. Besides the double vision, my actual vision was fine. Both eyes do work. I can see.
Years pass, and I haven't been to an opthamologist, so I decide perhaps I should go and get my eyes checked. Today was my appointment.
As the girl was taking all of my information, I mentioned that I had double vision. She simply replied, "I know." I must have looked at her quizzically, because she said, "Your eyes are not working together. I can tell." Oh. OK.
The Doctor comes in and examines my eyes. He asks if my double vision is side to side or top and bottom. (side to side)
He asks if my eyes were crossed or went out. He asks if I remembered. I told him that I did remember. My eyes went out, because I had to exercise and exercise to learn how to cross my eyes. He laughed and said, "Doctors do love to make you do that, don't they?" yup.
He asks if driving is a problem. Driving? no. ...... parking. That's another story. The Doctor says, "No depth perception. Please do me a favor. Do not ever park by my truck." I laughed. I said, "I never park by anyone. I'm that car that is way off in the parking lot at the Wal-Mart. I figure I can always use the exercise anyway." He liked that answer. I told him my cousin (she has double vision as well) and I have often laughed about how fun it is driving at night with ALL those lights coming at us. (Next time you're driving at night, think about all the lights you see, and then double that....fun!)
He told me that my left eye is a bit far sighted, but he asks, "You don't really use your left eye do you?"
--Nope.
"You over-compensate for your left eye with your right eye, right?"
--Yes.
"And that works for you."
--Yes.
"As long as that is working for you, keep doing whatever you've been doing."
I told him that sometimes people think it's weird or must be hard for me to have double vision, but that it is the only way I've ever seen. As I learned and grew, I adjusted to my world and my 'normal'. He agreed and we talked about how resilient a child's brain is and how that brain will overcompensate in stronger areas to take up the slack of the weaker ones.
So ........... I'm still not old. No bifocals for this young gal. My eyes may be messed up, but my vision is good!!
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