Floaters: Do they let kids name ailments now?
Scott Benner
I never really talk about myself on Arden's Day. I mostly talk about the reactions, feelings and discoveries that I have related to living with type I diabetes. You may disagree and I may be wrong but either way, I'm going to talk about myself today.
I don't really get sick. I remember having bronchitis very badly once as a child, maybe around ten years old. My iron got very low once a few years ago, I ignored it forever to the point where the doctor thought I had cancer for a moment... it ended up being something very small and easily rectified. I lived for nearly a year with so little iron in my system that by the time I turned up in the doctor's office he told me, with not a tinge of joking in his voice, "I can't believe you can stand". I wasn't just standing I was getting up at all hours of the night with Arden's type 1 diabetes and still completing my tasks around the house during the day. I took the kids to sports, wrote, cleaned and did the laundry. My point is that even when my body is completely taxed... I keep going.
My experience with type 1 has taught me not to take my uncommon constitution for granted and I promised myself after the 'Iron incident' that I wouldn't ignore not feeling well ever again, if not for myself then out of respect for the lives that all of you lead.
Last week I was having a catch with Arden late in the afternoon, the sky was grey and flat and we were passing the time while Cole warmed up for his baseball game. Arden has been expanding her softball skills and she is now catching fly balls that are much higher then I imagined she'd be able to handle at her age. I noticed that when I would tilt my head up suddenly to throw the ball that translucent worm shaped images would appear in my sight and then float away. One shape looked a lot like a DNA sequence. Varied shapes, see through but visible like when they make something 'look' invisible in a sci-fi movie. I was instantly terrified. My vision has for my entire life been 20/15. I see in contrast, color and sharpness in a way that would perhaps be indefinable to a person who wears glasses. Now suddenly I was worried that I was going blind, had a tumor or ya know, cancer...
Turns out I have floaters. No, not bits of pooh that won't go down when you flush but shapes that float through your vision. The doc says that in my case they come with age (wow was that tough to hear). I know because I called and made an appointment to see him exactly fifteen minutes after I noticed the shapes. I considered ignoring it to see if it would go away but then I thought there was no way that I'd let one of my kids or Kelly ignore something like this and so I called from the baseball field.
I'm writing this long tale of basically no woe because I owe my new attitude to all of you. There may be nothing more scary then hearing bad health news about your child but you all stand up bravely and hear things far worse then floaters each and every day. I do it with my children and I wanted to take this first personal opportunity to act well on my own behalf. I must say that I was proud of myself for not turning, pardon the pun, a blind eye to my situation but I'm even prouder of each and every one of you for doing the same in far more frightening circumstances.
I don't want to link to a bunch of info that I can't substantiate as accurate but I was told that floaters can occur naturally with age or they can be a sign of something far worse and serious that can be contained if caught early enough. Please seek medical attention without delay if you experience any issues with your sight. Mine, as it is described at the bottom of this page, is never to be taken as medical advice. Always contact a doctor when your health is in question.
