All About Your Child

Yesterday I received an email that goes like this….

“My name is Samantha and I am a cousin of the Thrice Blessed Momma, Helena. I write this comment at a very troubling time for our family. Helena, left us on Thursday, February 21st. But now she is with peace and her husband Andrew. She had told us that the people she had met blogging were like a family to her. So, I felt it necessary to let you know of the funeral arrangements. The service will take place on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 12:30pm. The location is Schoenberg Memorial Chapel (1519 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, Delaware). Please keep Madison, Zoe, and Jonathan in your thoughts and prayers.”

— May the Lord bless Madison, Zoe, Jonathan and everyone who loved Helena and whom Helena loved…..Amen.

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This year is the first time I hear the sound of ambulance so often. No joke, I hear the siren almost every other day. On 22nd feb, an ambulance was right below my block, waiting for the injured or the sick to be brought down by the medics.

When i reach National University of Singapore for the bazaar, the ambulance was there too. For most of the Singaporeans, who have heard the news, the 72-tonne, 60m-high tower crane toppled in the construction site just next to the Business faculty, taking away 3 lives. One of the worker arrived for work just 1hr before the crane toppled. When I read this on the papers, I felt so sour….”did he go there to die?” Read the full story here

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Then there was the famous veteran Hong Kong star, Lydia Sum Tin Ha. Affectionately known as “Fei Fei” (Fatty) or “Fei Jie” (Fat Sis), Sum was one of the most recognisable icons of Hong Kong cinema, thanks to her rotund figure, jolly smile and iconic horn-rimmed glasses; who passed away at 8.38am on 19at Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital, after a two-year battle with liver cancer. She was 61.

Lydia left with many unfulfilled dreams about her only daughter, Joyce Cheng. They include seeing Joyce release her debut album. Seeing her achieve fame. Seeing her get married one day and have her own children.

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Helena probably felt the same as Lydia. Mothers feel the same. Their biggest pride, biggest sorrow, biggest worry, biggest joy – their kids.

Isn’t that so true?

Myopia came and stayed with me since I was 8 years old. My eyesight degree then was 300 on both sides. 2 years ago, myopia’s friend, astigmatism, came along. By then myopia has increased to 8.50 (right) and 9.75 (left) over the years and astigmatism was 1.00 (right) and 0.75 (left) when she first arrived.

When I was a little child, adults told me that bad eyesight is hereditary. My dad had almost perfect eyesight but my mom’s myopia was above 10.00 for both eyes.

Today, I went for an eye check again. My six sense never failed me. Myopia and astigmatism has decided to increase further. Now I am (myopic) 8.75 (right) and 9.75 (left) and (astigmatic) 1.25 (right) and 1.00 (left).

Ever since I had my first glasses, I have been very careful with my eyes. Whatever myths on how-to-get-good eyesight, I will definitely try them out. From eating fish and carrots to looking at grasses and green leaves, I have tried them all.

None of them worked. Over the years, my degree just kept increasing. Many say that when one wear contact lenses, the degree tends to stay put. For me, it merely slows down the rate of increment.

Now I had to switch to contact lenses that are astigmatic for my right eye. Its completely hopeless when night falls when I am still wearing my astigmatic-free contact lenses.

I am worried. Very troubled. My dream was to go for a Lasik surgery to get it over and done with. But now, even Lasik is not the answer, ‘cos Lasik only get rid of myopia. Very soon…I foresee, I will not be able to wear contact lenses anymore, I wonder, what’s the limit for contact lenses…..if my degree continues to rise.

I worry for my boys too. They have such bright eyes. They have eyes that speaks to you. How horrible would it be, if their eyes were blocked by an awful spectacle resting on the nose and the ears?

This was what I found today…..

Is Bad Eyesight Hereditary?

Alderwood Vision Therapy said No

WikiAnswers said Yes

Is myopia hereditary?

isee.org said No

Healthlink said Yes

I am confused. So is it a Yes or No?

I thought by marrying someone with perfect or near perfect eyesight, I can lower down the chances of my kids being myopic, but….

MedHelp said Not True

I hate the fact that I am short-sighted. There are so many inconveniences, especially when you are a woman. Make-up, looking pretty or even simply feeling carefree is out of the question when the first thing you see when you open your eyes every morning is BLURNESS!

Will my kids have it? I am super duper particular when it comes to protecting my boys’ eyes. I try my best to make sure that they don’t watch the TV or play games on the PC for too long. There must be a break from the square box every 30 minutes.

I constantly remind them to have a good distance of about 30cm from their books and when they are doing their worksheets.

I try, I really am trying very hard, all ways and means to protect my boys sparkling eyes…..

Lord, bless my kids, may myopia and astigmatism be far far away from them…..Amen.