Kid Medical Questions

[waverly]

I suspect the answer is take him to the specialist in both cases but just wondering if you have experience with either of these. I think I am hesitating just because we seem to always go to sooo many doctors.

1. When DS was in physical therapy his therapist recommended orthotics for his shoe. We saw a foot doctor and got non custom orthotics. He wore them basically a year with no issue and then when got new shoes he said they weren’t comfortable. I could try to take the insert out, but I guess I wonder if he still needs them. It’s been a year and foot doctor wants to see him annually. Should I try to make the orthotics work longer? They are still the correct size but probably since his foot is slightly bigger and new shoe they fit snug. Go back to doctor?

2. DS is nearsighted -.5. Eye doctor wanted to hold off on glasses and see him in s year. School did eye test on him and us demanding I take him back to eye doctor. But original plan was eye doctor in August. Could it have gotten that bad in 6 months? Or is she just picking up on the .5 prescription?

[sunbutter]

The shoe thing depends on why he needed and how bad he needed them in the first place. My gut says take them out and see how he does.

For the eye thing, I would just call the eye doc that gave you the recommendation to wait a year. He is probably fine. The school screenings are super crude. But in the off chance it actual did get a lot worse, you don’t want to regret not going in August. See what the doctor thinks.

[2chatter]

As a former volunteer school screener (trained well, but, kids aren’t totally my jam) .... I would not put a lot of stock in their assessment. Who knows what happened before or during his screening. Those are great for catching vision challenges but also cast a wide net.

Does he have a well check or doctor visit between now and August? Our ped will respond to those school requirements when they are off cycle for my kids. This happened to us with DD and glasses.

[waverly]

DS told me he moved the orthotics to his basketball shoes so he solved the problem for me without me even knowing.

Maybe I can just have the eye doctor fill out the form without bringing him in again. I asked the pedi and he said ask the eye doctor but I didn’t have the form yet because the school mailed it.

[mae0111]

I can’t comment on the orthotics, but once my vision started changing, it went downhill rapidly. For a period of time, I needed new glasses every 6-9 months. The school tests aren’t great, but it is possible that his vision changed. As a kid, the gauge was always that I couldn’t see the board. Does he complain at all? It couldn’t hurt to have him checked.

Signed,

-8.75 prescription

[mommyatty]

My eyes did what mae0111 described. That was me from 3rd to 7th grade. I would get his vision checked just to be safe. He’s probably fine, but when you’re little you don’t know the rest of the world doesn’t see what you see. I couldn’t see the board, but until I got my first pair of glasses, I didn’t know anyone else could see the board. I probably needed glasses at least a year before anyone realized.

[2chatter]

Did the pediatrician screen him and then say ask the eye doctor or just fob you off? This is where I demand efficiency - I am in your office and you have an eye chart....tell me if I need to see a specialist or if his vision is the same as it was last time in reality. Ugh! Sounds like .... specialist?

There seriously need to be medical complexes where someone screens my kids eyes while i get my annual.

[waverly]

Feb 6, 2019 21:17:24 GMT -5 2chatter said:

Did the pediatrician screen him and then say ask the eye doctor or just fob you off? This is where I demand efficiency - I am in your office and you have an eye chart....tell me if I need to see a specialist or if his vision is the same as it was last time in reality. Ugh! Sounds like .... specialist?

There seriously need to be medical complexes where someone screens my kids eyes while i get my annual.

Yes! Actually take both my kids for like 4 hours of testing (pedi, flu shot, other vaccines as needed, eye exam, other random specialists if applicable). Give me my annual, maybe a massage, and coffee and a book!

No, my pedi loves pawning things off. It’s his favorite thing to do. But he does do steroids which previous pedi never did and is 5 minutes away, 1 minute from their school.

[sdlaura]

I would take him back to foot doctor to get new orthotics...says the woman who has my foot in a boot after foot surgery two weeks ago. I would defer to doctor’s instructions, not school, on the eyesight.

[abs]

Is he struggling with reading or math or writing or anything in school that could impact his vision? If so I would take him back to the eye doctor now. Vision can change rapidly. However, I also put zero stock in the screenings the school does or even that the pedi does. The eye doctor is so much more thorough. DD got glasses at 4 all on a hunch from our pedi's nurse. She passed the vision screening but just barely. The nurse recommended that we see an eye doctor anyways and she was right.
At the eye doctor it became obvious DD couldn't see very well with 20/80 vision in one eye. Glasses made a huge difference for her. Now if he isn't struggling in any way then I would just wait until summer.

[twinmomma]

If the eye doctor said wait, I'd wait.
School screenings suck. Ours flagged the girls that they need glasses and have terrible eyes. My kids both wear glasses already.... So ya, not exactly earth shattering medical science happening there.

[xctsclrx]

I would do a test at home with DS. Gage what you can read at a certain distance and then see if he can see the same thing or not. Also, ask him if he has trouble reading the board or is getting frequent headaches and then go from there. Its only been 5 months since he was seen at the eye doctor. If he is not having issues at school I wouldn't take him.

How is the school demanding that you take him? is this a public school? They don't get to demand anything unless it is a doctors note because your kid has been sick. I'd blow off the school. You are taking care of your kid. You are not neglectful and you are not just going to let your kid suffer.


I am not sure that orthopedics are a need that just goes away. I would take him back to the doctor to see. This is one where I wouldn't miss the annual. Knee and back problems only get worse over time if they are not treated.

[waverly]

He is growing slowly out of his size 4 shoes, so I'll make the foot doctor appointment when he is ready to move into size 5 which should be pretty soon, so I can get the larger orthotic if needed. 

Public school sent paperwork to be filled out by the eye doctor. They are legally allowed to ask for health, vision, and dental forms.

I believe I submitted health, eye and dental for him in K. And dental again in 2nd grade. And the waivers are pretty lame like I have to exhaust all options before they accept a waiver. 

[2chatter]

We had to go to the doctor for a repeat scoliosis check - right after the well check complete with scoliosis check - because the school flagged her and would not accept the well check, it had to be a new appointment.

Now, that freaks me out because this genetic thing we are waiting to hear about commonly has “very mild scoliosis”.

I hate the paperwork trumping the intent.

[phdmomma]

I hate paperwork, so would just probably take him back to the eye doctor, just to check. I also have -5.25 eyes, so being able not to see well is something that I get. The school exams are also super crude. Like the hearing ones, yeah, I know my kids has some issues, which is why we also go to the audiologist and he has tubes.

[186momx]

DD was having issues reading last spring. I asked the school to do an eye exam before making an appointment. They came back and said she got 2 out of the 5 20/20 markers wrong which flags them to say she needs an eye doctor appointment. I got her in early summer break and it was a shit show. Eye doc gave me a reading glasses prescription for .5 and told me just to have her wear them for 6 months as her eyes hadn't adjusted to smaller print yet. I didn't buy them and it all worked out okay.

I would try and schedule the foot doctor before August especially if his foot is growing that much. Speaking from the lady that wears a lift and can tell when I switched shoes and didn't put the lift in the new shoe.