More info to come!

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

My daughter just had academic testing done. She is in 2^nd grade.  She is a great reader and has no problem writing.  Her struggle is with visual perception and long term retrieval.  She has difficulty with math; specifically with shapes, graphs and tables.  She does not seem to understand or can not see the relevance to the math problems presented.   Can you tell me if you have heard of this math issue having to do with a vision problem?

Well, without being too technical, math does involve complex visual perceptual skill. It is certainly possible that a challenge in specific visual processing can result in difficulty with math. The relationships that are involved in math are typically rooted in tangible concepts that are readily processed visually.  (Here is a simple example). This can even be the case even if your daughter is a good reader – it is also possible that her language verbal skills are so very high that they compensate for visual difficulty, or that the visual processes may not be the same used primarily in reading.

Has your daughter and a complete vision evaluation? I would start there, followed by an optometric visual information processing evaluation. After these are completed, it would be possible to tell you if  some form of intervention (glasses, contact lenses, vision therapy)  may benefit her.

And, of course, she should continue to receive the needed instruction and any tutoring/remediation/addition instruction that is appropriate.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have further questions, you can call the office at 813-792-0637 or email me directly.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

The other I day downloaded Chris Brogan and Julian Smith’s “Trust Agents” to listen to in the car on my way to and from work. I don’t remember where, but I had heard some positive things and wanted to check it out.

I’m about halfway through and liking it so much, that I wanted to establish a social media reading list. I just read Tribes, by Seth Godin on recommendation from Julia Gorzka and I already knew that I wanted to read Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Crush It” next, but what after that?

So did a very informal poll on Twitter and here are the tweets I received:

@JuliaGorzka: Post Tribes Reading List: Groundswell by Charlene Li & Josh Bernhoff. Lots of great examples.

@JuliaGorzka:  Re-Imagine by Tom Peters, currently reading & loving Re-Imagine by Tom Peters

@tweetmaker: Serious about SMM? Read @google (Kaushik Avinash) blog and peruse Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” frequently.

When I joked that I probably wasn’t *that* serious….

@tweetmaker: My thrust: Insights about how one might approach & leverage SMM abound in sources where no direct mention of SMM exists.

@social_forces: Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” and Godin’s “Ideavirus” for a 1-2 punch?

I mentioned I hadn’t heard of “Ideavirus”

@social_forces: It’s a fine read. What Godin lacks vs Gladwell’s eloquence, he makes up 4 w/ practical application. Like a “how to” for tipping pts.

@missdestructo Hmm. How To Win Friends and Influence People is a good start…. then as far as SM goes, I love Trust Agents.

@GiftsTV current ones I’m reading – Word of Mouth Marketing – Andy Sernovitz and Six Pixels of Seperation – Mitch Joel – others you found ?

@lizzharmon: That’s tough. Hard to narrow it down to 2: Trust Agents & Tribes; also Socialnomics & Twitter Power. I read a lot.

@lizzharmon: I think I’d add Groundswell and anything by Brian Solis.

@chrisbrogan: The New Community Rules by @tamar, and Six Pixels of Separation by @mitchjoel

And my favorite…..

@NetWeave BTW, I know some folks will disagree heartily with me, that’s just my opinion.I believe that any book on SM is obsolete by the time the ink dries. Spend your reading time on @Mashable, @TechCrunch, etc.

So there you go. That should keep you busy until the new year. And by then you’ll have a bunch more to read.

If you have other suggestions of read books, please leave a comment so I can add them to the list.

Happy Reading.

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

Here at Bright Eyes, we have amazing patients that do very cool things. I am always interested in what people are doing and enjoy the conversations that we have during the eye exams. Sometimes I will spotlight them.

Today I was lucky enough to be the focus of a very cool and generous post by Randy Watson (AKA The Wine Whore). If you don’t already know him, he is a very funny, genuine wine blogger, twitter fanatic,  friend, and a patient.

So check it out! Check out the rest of his blog. And if you are feeling up to it, leave a comment. And don’t forget to get your turn on the Cabernet Couch!

Cheers!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

Bright Eyes is happy to join in one of West Park Village’s biggest annual event:

The Halloween Spooktacular

We’ll be here in costume starting at 5pm tonight!

See you there!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

[ I haven't written much for the blog in the last couple of weeks. Mostly I've been busy with Javier and Nora. You can see some of Javier's pictures  on Flickr here: http://bit.ly/1MFiuw - Dr. B].

I am very excited to bring you this interview with Nick Despotidis, O.D. (Dr. D). He is one of my mentors in the orthokeratology/corneal reshaping field. He has written, researched, lectured on the subject for many years. I have attended several of his lectures and have always been impressed with his insight and enthusiasm. I was even more impressed when I read his book “My Children are Nearsighted, Too.” Dr. D practices in Hamilton Square, New Jersey.

Dr. B. Writing a book takes a lot of effort. What prompted you to write a book and not just a large pamphlet?

Dr. D. : As health professionals, we often get asked similar questions from patients. However, nothing seems to elicit as much emotion as when parents are discussing their children’s vision. Seeing the concern or sheer disappointment on a parent’s face when I tell them their child needs glasses still moves me, even after twenty years in practice.

Parents often ask: “Why so young? Do they have to wear glasses all the time? Is this inherited? Is it going to get worse? What can be done?” My explanation and subsequent recommendations take time, time we often don’t have while in the examination room, yet parents deserve.

So now I actually give my patients a copy of our book and highlight specific sections I want them to read. Then, after they develop a good background and learn the answers to many of their questions, we discuss how to help their son or daughter. It’s worked amazingly well. I’m very proud after parents tell me how much the book has helped them understand vision and given them an arsenal of recommendations.<

As a parent myself I appreciate the frustration of being told my child requires some type of treatment without fully understanding my options. The book was written to empower parents when it comes to their children’s eyesight.

How long did it take for beginning to end?

Two years!

As an early adopter of corneal reshaping, did you initially suspect that myopia control was going to be as successful as it has recently been shown to be?

No. In 1992 when it was first introduced into our office it was just viewed as a substitute for daytime contact lenses or glasses. That’s it. We reserved recommending corneal reshaping for patients who could not wear contacts during the day or required freedom from contact lenses or eyeglasses during their waking hours. So we had a lot of athletes, teachers and executives wearing the lens, but it was a select few.

However, clinically we observed that teenage athletes wearing the lenses did not need changes to their prescription every year like many of our eyeglass or contact lens wearing patients. In 1998 when my own two sons began wearing eyeglasses, that’s when the light turned out. You see, even though I prescribe eyeglasses daily, when my young children needed eyeglasses, I was upset, even distraught. Seeing the success they’ve had with corneal reshaping inspired me to become an “early adopter” or advocate of this technology.

If corneal reshaping is such a positive and exciting technology, one that may help thousands of young children from having their eyesight worsen, why don’t all doctors provide this service?

That’s a great question, one I get asked daily! Most eye doctors are not familiar with corneal reshaping even though Paragon Vision Sciences, the maker of the CRT design, received FDA approval over 9 years ago! Some doctors may base their opinion on outdated information or personal experience.

As a “seasoned” health provider I understand how long new procedures take to enter mainstream medical offices. But that does not make it fair or right. For example, it took over 30 years for data to arise that a child’s eye coordination skills may affect their ability to read and consequently learn. Even though I understood this in my early training days it took decades to become “accepted.” And even today some practitioners are not on board.  Corneal reshaping faces the same challenge. In addition to understanding the technology, doctors need to enjoy seeing patients more often than their contact lens and eyeglass wearing patients. This is often not the case.

Lastly, there is a higher level of technology and training required to perform corneal reshaping properly. Doctors may not be interested enough to upgrade their offices to provide this service.

I personally overcame these apprehensions when I saw how well corneal reshaping helped my own sons. Now, literally 10 years after they started wearing these lenses, their eyesight has not gotten worse. Nothing more needs to be said.

What is your next project?

I’m writing a personal development book extolling the life lessons I’ve acquired as a husband, parent, doctor and philanthropist.

Thanks, Dr. Despotidis, for taking the time. I wish yoy, your family, and your patients the best.

You can read more about Dr. Despotidis and orthokeratology at: http://www.gentlevisionshaping.com/. If you have questions about whether or not corneal reshaping is right for your or child, feel free to contact Bright Eyes at the contact info below or call 813-792-0637.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

Doc & Javier

Dr. and Mrs. Bonilla-Warford are proud to announce the arrival of a bouncing baby boy, Javier Bonilla Warford. He was born on October 8th. Dr. & Mrs. Bonilla-Warford will be out of the office for a while spending time with their family.

The office will be open for our regular business hours for purchase or questions regarding glasses or contacts. Please speak with the staff to check on availability of appointments.

If you are experiencing an eye related emergency please call Dr. Mines or Menosky at 813-855-8008. Thank you for your patience!

And the results are in! Congrats, Jamie-Lee. You’ve won the #BWBABY Contest and have earned yourself a free bottle of Intensity Academy hotsauce! Your guess was the closest to the actual date and time of 10/8/09 at 8:45 pm.

You can claim your prize any day that you come to work!

Update: Pictures are here: http://bit.ly/1MFiuw

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter.

It is awesome owning a Westchase business. The people are great, the neighborhood is beautiful, and the local business owners are fantastic. All the Westchase businesses I know, whether they be small, large, have a big store front or are internet/home based, work very hard and enjoy their work. That is why I am SO EXCITED about the new Westchase Area Business Association (WABA), spearheaded by Joel and Marlene Bigham, of the Computer Valet. For the first time, there is an organization built by and for Westchase businesses.

The first WABA event received a very nice write-up by Alicia McMillan in the World of Westchase. I was lucky to be able to attend this marvelous event and meet lots of new Westchase people. I was even quoted in the WOW piece:

Over 60 area businesses were represented during the evening. Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford of locally operated Bright Eyes Family Vision Care stated that he’d just found out about the event the night before, but was determined not to miss out. He explained, “A lot of us work really hard to grow our own Westchase businesses. I had an event at my office last month and it drew a lot of attention, but I had trouble communicating with other businesses. There’s no reason at all why we shouldn’t all be working together.” He added, “The turnout is awesome. I think that just reinforces that there’s obviously a need.”

I have been so impressed with WABA, that I have volunteered to assist with events and online marketing. Bright Eyes hosted a successful morning coffee recently at the office. There will be regular coffees and cocktail hours, as well as larger events in the future.

If you are a Westchase business owner or resident, I encourage you to check out the official WABA webpage, as well as the Facebook and Twitter page. We are looking for energetic people who want to strengthen Westchase connections.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

We apologize for any inconvenience.  Bright Eyes Family Vision Care will be closed Friday 10/2 and Saturday 10/3.

If you have any questions, you can call 813-792-0637 and leave a message or tweet Dr.B at @natebw

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter

As many of you know, my wife, Cristina, is pregnant with our son, Javier. His due date is October 6, 2009. As he is our second child, many people think he will come a little earlier than that.

Cristina’s mother and aunt had a little bet going. I can tell you that her aunt already lost because she picked Sept 15. But why let them have all the fun?

Announcing the #BWBABY contest

Do you want to try your hand at telling the future and winning a prize?

HERE IS HOW:

1) Take your best guess at the date and time  Javier will be born.

2)  Enter a comment below with “I think #BWBABY will be born at TIME on DATE.”  Or if you would like to offer words of encouragement and/or color commentary on the contest, you can do that on the comments below.

3) If you use  Twitter, also tweet  ” I think #BWBABY will be born at TIME on DATE.”

4) You can enter as many times as you want. Really, go nuts.

5) There will be TWO prizes provided by Intensity Academy hot sauce.

6) Whoever guesses closest, but no before the birthday wins an Intensity Academy bottle of  hot sauce of their choosing.

7) Whoever enters the funniest/wittiest/most humorous guess will also win an Intensity Academy bottle of their choosing.

Winners will be announced on Twitter and this page.

9) Winners must pick up their Prizes at Bright Eyes family Vision care.

So those are the rules. They are subject to change. The contest could be over tomorrow morning if Javier is ready. or is could be over October 15th, if he is lazy about the whole thing. No one will know until it is time

So let’s get those guesses in!!

And let me just dispel the rumor now, we are not naming the baby “Twitter”, although Michele Northrup thinks is it brilliant. The baby’s name is Javier. Twitter is just his nickname.

Have fun!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care

Westchase, Tampa, FL

Connect with Us:  FacebookTwitter.