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squint - I've been here before but I am starting to panic - help and talking down would be nice

10 replies

vonsudenfed · 06/03/2009 13:53

DD has a squint - a really quite bad one (one eye will sometimes almost disappear into the bridge of her nose). The chances are she will need an op.

Why I am in a complete panic, is that DH's little sister died of a brain tumour when she was 7 or 8. DH can't remember too much about it, but he does remember her eye being patched as part of her treatment. His sister brought that up again last night, and I am now in a complete tailspin of panic that she might die.

I know the chances are very, very low - and she does sometimes squint with the other eye, which is a sign that it's most likely bad muscles. But our entire family is full of dead children - my older sister died at birth, my mother's brother died as a boy, I've had two miscarriages and and probably too old to have another. It just feels as though history is bound to repeat itself.

And I hate feeling this shit about it all, and wish I could just walk round in life like a normal person. But here I am.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
anchovies · 06/03/2009 14:00

Couldn't not reply after reading your post, there is nothing worse than thinking there is something very wrong with your dc.

I presume you have seen a consultant? When are you due to go back? Would having a chat with your GP reassure you that she is fine? Perhaps worth seeing the GP anyway if you are feeling anxious?

vonsudenfed · 06/03/2009 14:10

Thankyou. Yes, we've been to hospital and they're aware of the background, and it doesn't look likely, but we are going back to see the consultant in a couple of weeks time.

I'm going to counselling already - it's just for some reason yesterday I've just slipped down into a black patch today. And I don't think it's even entirely to do with DD, just a huge upswell of anxiety looking for something to fix itself to.

OP posts:
idobelieveinfairies · 06/03/2009 14:18

My DD had an op for her squint in the summer...both her eyes did it too, it's meant to be a good thing as the 'other' eye is trying to make up for the squinty eye being squinty in the first place....did that make any sense??!

Anyhow....her eyes are fine now, and she only had the op on one eye. It's understandable that you are concerned but the squint thing is common in children and i am sure it is just that.

vonsudenfed · 06/03/2009 14:21

Thanks IDBIF. How old was she when she had the op? DD is 2.3 at the moment.

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Ledodgy · 06/03/2009 14:27

My ds1 as a squint and went to the specialist 2 weeks ago. They tested his eyes and discovered he is long sighted as well. He has to wear glasses and if the squint hasn't improved when we go next they'll patch his good eye and if this doesn't work they'll operate. We had to see the doctor on the same day he had the eye tests so he could look behind the eye to make sure there was nothing suspect which I assume has been/will be done for your dd too.If there was a tumour causing the squint they would be able to tell and as you sound like the squint has already been diagnosed i'm sure everything is fine. Please don't worry.

idobelieveinfairies · 06/03/2009 14:27

She was 3.8 when she had the op, it's a day surgery thing.

We only noticed the squint when she was about 2.8 (maybe a bit younger)..and it gradually got worse, she was given glasses to see if it made a differnce as she was very slightly long sighted but it was the muscle that was the problem so she needed the operation.

Does your DD wear glasses?

vonsudenfed · 06/03/2009 14:30

No, her sight problems are almost negligible (they were quite surprised at the hospital - the opthamologist was convinced she'd be in glasses, but the optician found nothing. So we're patching her 1-2 hours a day at the moment, and she has no problem adjusting to this, and we'll go back 6 weeks after that.

Thankyou for all of this, I am just having an anxious moment, and the reassurance is most appreciated.

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idobelieveinfairies · 06/03/2009 14:32

My DD wouldn't have needed glasses either as it was so so slight, but they said to get them just to see if it makes a difference, they like to try everything before a decision t operate is made which i think is the best way to go.

She was never patched though.....i guess they must just do it a bit different over here.

mololoko · 06/03/2009 14:58

i had a squint and wore a patch a lot as a child and it didn't help at all. they wouldn't operate as in those days they wanted to wait until my "eye stopped growing". i got used to double vision until i was 21, when i mentioned it again to my gp and they operated. i REALLY wish i'd had it done as a child - double vision messes up sport and hand eye coordination, and i was always very aware of the squint. so, i would say DO get it sorted, it'll make her life much easier!

the op was very straightforward and apart from a weepy eye for a few days, it didn't hurt much at all.

i can understand why you're terrified. it's horrible when you get a thought into your head that you can't get rid of. i hope you're having a better day. as Ledodgy said, they will have looked for a tumour at the opticians and i understand they are generally quite easy to spot. squints are very common, and fixable. i do hope the counselling helps

Seona1973 · 06/03/2009 20:02

I noticed dd squinting from around 15 months and she had glasses by 18 months as she is long sighted in both eyes. She also did some patching but that was to improve the eyesight in her bad eye, not to improve the squint. She had an eye op when she was 4 and like a pp it was just one eye that got done and she was fine.

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