Although I had heard the word wonky used before, I didn’t really think it was an actual word… till I looked it up. And yes, it is a word. Sadly, it means crooked, off-center, askew, unsteady, and shaky. It’s probably the last word you want to hear from your eye doctor.
As background, I could never see well. My parents didn’t believe any of the eye screenings from school saying that I needed glasses. So I did the best I 
could without really seeing anything clearly. I sat in the front of the class and I listened intently because there was no way I could see anything that was going on. When you know nothing more, having never seen clearly – you never have the experience of knowing how bad your sight really is. You just go with the flow, accept the inevitable, and live with it. As a child, I adapted the best I could. Lucky for me at 7 years of age, my uncle took me to an eye doctor and I got my first pair of light blue, cat eye shaped glasses. My world suddenly turned so much clearer. I was amazed — there is just other adequate description.
Fast forward to 2002, I am wearing both contacts and glasses to see. I have low vision. My contacts are expensive and special order and if I tear one, it can take up to 6 weeks to get a new one. It’s a long process to get a pair that works – because of the high Rx and the 3 astigmatisms in my right eye. Yet I am so thankful they can make them. Without them I wear coke bottle type glasses and see, but not nearly 20/20. My eyes are -12.00 each and to put that in perspective, -7.50 without correction is legally blind. So yes, when I have my contacts and glasses off – I am more than legally blind. All I see without correction is foggy bunches of colors. I cannot see the big “E” on the eye chart, and I can’t even see enough to find my glasses. And without seeing, I cannot do many of the things regular people take for granted, like drive a car, read a book, watch tv, or even dial the phone.
So…. I had lasik surgery. I was a good candidate for the treatment. My eyes would not be guaranteed, and the risks were higher for me because of the high Rx. It was still a miracle. I cried on the way home because I could see. I could NEVER see without correction before in my life and now after a fairly painless and quick surgery, I could. It was definately worth the cost.
But now it’s 2012 and 10 years have passed. I have been wearing reading glasses for the last few, but recently found that my eyes don’t want to see far or near clearly. I cannot read the signs at the fast food restaurant and I cannot read the computer or any paperwork without my reading glasses and even then it’s hard. And the reason ~ my eyes went wonky!
For me specifically, it means that the eye that could see far after the lasix surgery – now can’t and it cannot help the reading eye. The reading eye has gotten farsighted but not enough to help the eye that sees far. If that’s a bit confusing, it was to me too…. but basically my eyes have reversed roles and taken ones they cannot succeed in performing. Both of them have decided to be farsighted – which my brain cannot deal with after 47 previous years of nearsightedness. And it’s crazy that they did that…. and scary. I am going to try some progressive lens glasses (which I will be wearing all the time) that should help – or I can get contacts and glasses again, or 2 pairs of glasses that I would keep needing to change. There is no easy solution.
For most people, the lasik surgery comes with a guarantee to fix your vision for life. That means you can have the surgery again, if necessary, to fix any issues you have as the years go by for free ~~ but my eyes were over the maximum when I had my surgery and were never guaranteed. But honestly, I don’t think there is anything that can fix wonky.
Oh man. While I imagine that you are very grateful for the years Lasik gave you, I can totally understand how frustrating and (if it were me, even angry) anxious you must feel. My son was born with both heart and eye problems and honestly, the vision problems were almost tougher for him. Thank you for sharing his.