To ask if there are any optometrists about?

[AstridPeth]

So basically; we have an appointment at our local hospital next Friday for dd3 and I want to know what to expect.
History...
Dd3 (10) has worn glasses for a number of years for being longsighted. Went to the opticians for a routine check up a couple of years ago and they were shocked to find significant changes in her right eye. To the point that she is now very shortsighted. Her current prescription reads.
Right Sph -2.25 Cyl -2.75 Axis 15.0
Left Sph +0.25 Cyl 0.25 Axis 165.

She was referred to the hospital must be about 18 months/2 years ago now. And even though they said she was on the cusp of being too old to patch her that would give it a go as they thought that might help.
It helped only in the tiniest amount and they eventually discharged her saying that was all they could do (I was at this meeting ). She went back to the opticans and they gave her a new prescription and asked to see her in 3 months. My dh took her to this last appointment. They had said that she has deteriorated again and referred her back to the hospital (the appointment we have next week).
I phoned the opticians myself to speak to them and inform them that the optometrist had already said there was nothing else they could do (dh had neglected to tell them that) but they were adamant they wanted her re referred.

Obviously we are taking her and I have booked the time off work so I can go through any options but if we have already been told that there is nothing they can do I feel it may be a wasted journey.

I don't even pretend to understand the prescription so I was hoping someone more knowledgable could inform me.
Surely the opticians must think there is something else that can be done or they wouldn't have referred her again.

If you have got this far thank you for staying with me.

[GreenTureen]

I'm not an optometrist but I know the Sph is - for shortsighted and + for longsighted and the higher the number, the 'worse' it is.

I'm very shortsighted and -9.5 in one eye and -10.0 in the other, so the -2.25 doesn't seem high at all to me. I have no idea what the other stuff means though!

[DesolateWaist]

Not an optometrist but worked in optics for years.

Having a prescription like that is one eye only, especially with a cyl as high as that is a worry.
However there is often bugger all the hospital can do if it's already been patched.
Assuming you went to the same opticians they should know that you've been referred already.
The opticians have a duty to refer her. Even if there is nothing that can really be done.

[Shoppingwithmother]

Well she has basically no prescription at all in the left eye. The right eye is moderately short-sighted, with a fair amount of astigmatism.

I couldn't really say much more than that given the information. Things that would make a difference would be a) the level of vision (e.g. 6/6, 6/12) in each eye; b) exactly what the prescription and level of vision was previously (e.g. was the astigmatism there before when she long Sighted?).

I can tell you that a child becoming less long sighted/ more shortsighted as they get older is normal development, and is the case for practically every child.

[Shoppingwithmother]

Oh I meant to say - I am an optometrist.

Also did you go back to the same optician as previously as if so they should be able to answer your questions and give you more information from the previous records. If not, it is really a good idea to keep to the same one so you can have better continuity of care and they will know everything that has happened before.

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

also not an optometrist....am a dispensing optician.

when the hospital said there was no more to be done, presumably they meant that her quality of vision could not be improved ....as you said patching tends to make a difference up til about aged 8

however if her prescription is unstable and changing so rapidly there could be other issues behind that which is why they will have re referred

any chance of a word with the referring optom who will talk you through why they have re referred her, they should be okay with doing this.

[AstridPeth]

Thank you for your quick answers. Yes they said her left eye was very good (better than in the past actually, although was never too bad). It seemed to come on very suddenly with her right eye. And not a gradual reduction in sight. It was the same opticians branch but our regular optician wasn't available so she saw someone she hasn't seen before.
Also with her left eye covered she didn't fair to well on the eye test at all. Think she could only read the first few lines and she used to get really upset if I tried to make her read with the patch on as she said it was that much harder to read and it was fuzzy.

[AstridPeth]

Sorry cross posted with some if you. Yes when I rang the opticians they said they would speak to the optometrist who saw dd3 and get back to me. The result if that conversation we that she didn't like how it had got worse again in that relatively short space of time (3 months since previous appointment) and so wanted to get her checked out again.
Dd3 is prone to the odd headache but nothing out of the ordinary. I assume she would have read the notes about dd3 discharge from outpatients before re referring her. Unfortunately I sent my dh alone with her as I was working and he (bless him) wasn't a great help there and couldn't explain to me why they were 're referring her. He just agreed no questions asked. Hence why I want to go myself this time.
He is very good really and takes ds1 (7) to his appointments also (lazy eye ) as his work is much more flexible than mine re time off but I think I may just need to make sure I go in future.