Year8.txt Dear Prevention-minded parents, I have received this from a parent. I have changed the names of the people to protect them. Best, Otis ================================== From: Ron Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Subject: Mike's vision 20/70 to 20/30 Dear Otis, I am Ron and my son is Mike. Mike is eight years old now and can read most of the 20/30 line of i-see random Snellen chart. He has been using plus for three months. In 2004 when he was 6. My wife and I took him to see the optometrist in a university. We were told that Mike's vision was farsighted +0.75D both eyes and the eyes were healthy. In 2005 he was 7. We went to the same optometrist. We were told that Mike's farsightedness was gone. We worried he would be myopic soon. But nothing we could do at the time. The optometrist said that they suggest some children to use the hard contact lens to slow down the myopia if myopia grows fast. But he said Mike was not myopic yet and did not need at the time. My wife and I also think the hard contact lens is too dangerous for a young boy like Michael. We do not consider. What we could do was just keep an eye on his vision. At his regular body check early August this year. The doctor told us Mike needed to see an optometrist. My wife and I took him to see an optometrist on the same day. We were told that Mike was R -1.25 D and L -1.00 D nearsighted. That guy said Mike needed a pair of nearsightedness glasses. I told him Mike's refractive state was 0 diopter last year. That guy said ..you know.. he has grown. he has grown taller. his eyes have grown longer. and heredity. so myopia. I thought only the heredity made sense (not any more now). I think the NBA players are much taller. Are they all myopic? We rejected to let Michael wear glasses the guy wanted to sell. We went to two more different optometrists at different places in the week (because I don't really trust some of them ). One said Michael was R -1.25 D and L -1.50 D. Another said he was -1.50 D both eyes. Sure enough he was nnearsighted. We did not go to the university because it takes months for an appointment. We needed to know earlier. My wife and I were very sad. We have been doing everything we can to protect his vision since he was a baby, no close reading at home (in school we don't know and can not control), 12 feet away from the TV and only two or three hours a week, no TV game and no computer etc. Unfortunately, he can not stay away from myopia. In that week. My wife and I searched on the net. We wanted to find some methods to slow down Mike's myopia progress. We found O.K lens then we found plus method on Steve's site and your site. We read as much as possible in a week. Though we read a lot. We could not let Mike try the plus. Because we didn't know too much about this. We worried. So we decided to try the plus lenses by myself first. After a few days using plus lenses. I felt good and my vision improved little. It was no harmful at all. Then we got a pair of +1.50 D lenses for Michael starting. Mike started using plus in the end of August 2006. Mike's vision improved a little bit in a month. I always check his vision at home with the eye charts on the net. I have read a lot about plus prevention on the net. Too bad Steve doesn't update his website any more for some reason. Some people accused him. I have read a lot on your site, your forum, the Yabb vision improvement forum, sci.med.vision and i-see etc. I realize the +1.50 D lenses are not strong enough for Michael when he reaches 20/50 or better. So I gave him a pair of +2.50D lenses on 26 September 2006. He uses plus at home and his class room. He now can read most of the 20/30. Sometimes 4 of 6 sometimes 5 of 6. His vision was about 20/60 - 20/70 three months ago. He has improved a lot through three months. Last week Mike had a vision assessment in the department of health. The optometrist put the -0.50D lenses on Mike's face. Michael could read the smallest line each eye separately with those lenses. The optometrist said Mike was -0.50 D nearsighted both eyes. I asked him if the smallest line was 20/20. He told me that was 20/15. He said Mike didn't need glasses. Otis, is that kind of over-prescription you always say? Anyway, we are so happy about that Michael is just -0.50D nearsighted (may be) confirmed by a professional optometrist though I know his vision level on the eye chart at home, though I don't trust some of them too much. Mike improves his vision by using plus. So do I. But my vision is too bad can not be restored. One thing is certain. Plus prevention works. Mike doesn't do any eye exercise like zooming, sunning and palming etc. He doesn't even know it. I have given him some blue berry extract with DHA since October 2006. I don't know if it helps. Who knows? One more thing is certain. God has been helping us. Thank God. Otis, you are doing great. You are helping a lot of people. Some people overcome myopia with your help. I have learnt much about plus-prevention on your site. Mike can avoid the stair-case myopia. His vision doesn't need to be sacrificed. I can't tell you how excited I am that he doesn't need the nearsightedness glasses in his life even he is just 20/30 now. You are making things better. I have seen some people bash you unreasonably. So I just want to write this letter to say thank you and encourage you. It is not easy for me to type an English letter like this. But I have to. I don't know if Mike will reach 20/20. I believe he will. I will let you know on the day. Thank you very much again Otis. Best regards, Ron ++++++++++ Part 2 Subject: Mike's vision now 20/25 Dear Otis, Thank you for your message. I read those pages of Wildsoet Lab and Good Vision. I understand the effect of the minus lens. When I was teen. I needed stronger minus lenses every one or two years. I don't want my child to do the same thing that I did. I value his vision. I test Mike's vision once a week. Yesterday I tested his vision again. He could read 4 of 5 letters of IVAC 20/25 line. It amazed me. Last week he could just read 5 of 6 letters of I-SEE Snellen 20/30 line. He is getting better and better. I think kid's vision can be restored much easier than adult. As you know. There are so many people nearsighted in Hong Kong. I am one of them. Michael is in a grade 3 class with 20 classmates. Unfortunately there are already five students wearing minus glasses in his class. My wife has talked about plus prevention to a parent whose child is -1.50 D nearsighted. But she didn't really believe it. People prefer the minus lens the optometrists suggest. You are right. The Lord helps the people who help themselves. I will get Mike proper medical checks certainly and we will go to the Polytechnic university to see the optometrist again when his vision gets better. Thank you very much for your attention. Best regards, Ron