Completed:
- 100 long swings
- Nose-paintbrush technique on Snellen
- Frequent palming and resting of eyes
- Snellen work outdoors: (approx 2pm, sun was low and there were many shadows from the trees on my chart): started out immediately reading 20/40 which was pretty encouraging and cleared to 20/30. I kept “trying” to see the 20 line or better and I think this was preventing me from improving any further. When I would relax and look around at the trees my vision would improve, then I would look to the chart to classify what I was seeing, and then my vision would degrade
- Snellen work indoors (semi-dim light), mostly just letting my eyes experiment with seeing without trying (e.g., just experiencing whatever my eyes were seeing without trying to improve them or do anything special): fluctuated from 10/50 to 10/20.
We’re under a winter storm advisory for Wednesday so I can say for certain I won’t be doing outdoor Snellen work on the 3rd!
Sassy — this is incredible.
I call it a “pass” when you can go outside and be
confident that you will read the 20/50 line.
You see from Alex’s reference that 20/60 or better
is considered “near normal”.
Sassy> Snellen work outdoors: (approx 2pm, sun was low and there were many shadows from the trees on my chart): started out immediately reading 20/40 which was pretty encouraging and cleared to 20/30.
Otis> Now you can play all sports outdoors!
Sassy> I kept “trying” to see the 20 line or better and I think this was preventing me from improving any further.
Otis> From long experience — count your blessings that you can see 20/50. That is true success. I also look forward to your Focometer reading in about three months.
Sassy> When I would relax and look around at the trees my vision would improve, then I would look to the chart to classify what I was seeing, and then my vision would degrade
Otis> From -8 diopters?? For the people who have “done it”, they report that from the 20/70 to 20/80 level, they get to 20/40, and then they “plateau”. So be prepared for:
1. Frustration.
2. “Slip-back”.
But to counter this remember:
20/50 to 20/40 is an incredible success.
Now if we could just start this process with
engineers entering a four year college with
-1.5 diopters and 20/60 vision. Think
of what we could accomplish!
Otis
Sassy,
Hi; it’s good to have you back. I’ve recently realized that I am “trying” more than I intended, whether it be trying to loosen my neck or trying to keep my posture straight or just trying to relax, which has to be the ultimate contradiction! I’m now figuring out how to set up a mirror so I can check myself at least when I’m looking at the chart, in the absence of a trained observer. Can you try to pinpoint what exactly you are doing when you look at the trees in a relaxed way, as opposed to looking at the chart? I’m thinking of squinting, tilting your head, etc. Then you can try to not do that (Alexander Technique inhibiting) — this is the approach I’m taking for myself.
I am amazed & impressed at your progress, especially seeing 20/40 immediately outside. See me waving through the snowflakes?
Keep up the good inspiring work!
Nancy
Thanks Otis! And you’re right, I am just thanking God for the vision I have now. If I only ever attain 20/40 permanently (indoors and outdoors) I would be very happy.
It is incredible that I can see this well, and sometimes I have to remind myself that not quite year ago, I was almost completely blind without my glasses
Thanks for the encouragement!
Sassy
Hi Nancy!
I’m waving back through the snowflakes! We’ve received the most beautiful snow these past couple of days. It’s truly a winter wonderland here now. Though I’m sure you’ve been having this already for a month or so? You guys probably get a lot more snow than we do.
Reading your recent blog entries has been such an inspiration and has truly taken me to the “next” level. Thank you! After reading about your Alexander Technique experience something finally clicked yesterday. I wrote about it in a new post. But anyway, I’ve come to the same conclusion. I need to just stop trying to do anything. All of this effort and forced relaxation is somewhat counterproductive. When my attention naturally shifts, effortlessly, my vision clears up! And then the correct vision habits become natural and not forced. Since I realized this yesterday all I’m trying to do is stay in the present moment and maintain a sense of attention in my “attic”
I hope you’re doing well! I’m so excited that your AT lessons have been so helpful! I”m looking forward to seeing how this affects your vision in the next few weeks!
Sassy
What’s this “snow” you guys are speaking of? Just kidding!
I live in the desert region of Arizona, so snow is something I have to travel to see.
Anyway, it’s amazing that you could see 20/40 and 20/30 on the chart! I have also noticed that if I try to see a lower line, I usually am not able to. Keep up the good work.
Sassy,
These majority-opinion ODs love to pay “word games”,
or “head games” with the meaning of words.
The previous example is an engineer measuring BOTH
a refractive STATE and a visual acuity.
Here is another “laugh” for you.
However, if you agree with Judy’s “parsing” of word, here
is her side of the “story”.
=================
Subject: Legally blind WITH OUT GLASSES.
Re: Why a child’s vision — will become a “lost cause”.
Otis> in about 4 years, he will be at -4 diopers, (at age 10) and about 20/210, or legally blind with no minus lens
[ 6 year-old child put into a -1.26 diopter lens and told to "wear them all the time". The predicted result will be that the child will be at -5 diopters at age ten. Not a pretty picture. This is what Bates warned us about. OSB ]
Judy> As I have pointed out to you many times, legal blindness is 20/200 or worse WITH GLASSES ON. The term “legally blind with no lens” is meaningless.
Judy
==============
So let us see:
You can’t make objective measurements.
And you can not understand the phrase, “Legally
blind” if you break your -4 diopter glasses.
Please not the quotes around the words “legally
blind”.
Enjoy,
Otis
Hey Mark,
Ha ha, well don’t make a special trip to Wyoming to see this snow! It was -4 degrees F when I went to bed last night and the roads are a mess
I do love the north, especially for the snow, but when it gets really cold I start having my doubts! Think of me and Nancy when you’re out in your T-shirt this weekend!
Sassy
Otis,
Strange! I actually didn’t know that ODs considered the words legally blind with respect to wearing glasses. Maybe that’s why they put us all in glasses because they don’t know how to categorize us without them! Which is funny, because even on this blog, most of us are conditioned to categorize ourselves with respect to our lens power, not by our unaided visual acuity. Obviously if they followed our lead and classified their patients by unaided visual acuity it would lead to the inevitable conclusion that the eye is dynamic which would shoot a huge whole through their WHOLE practice! Interesting observations Otis, thanks for sharing!
I still have to catch up on the material you posted over the Thanksgiving break, so I’ll be getting back to you on that later.
Sassy
- I have heard/learned that the term legally blind means one cannot see 20/200 even with glasses. It makes sense to me because if it referred to visual acuity without glasses, the majority of people who wear glasses or contacts would be considered blind.
-Sassy- I actually have visited Wyoming many times because my dad and his family are from there. I have grandparents in Lander and an aunt and a couple uncles in Laramie.