“If you imagine it, you can achieve it.  If you dream it, you can become it.”- William Arthur Ward

How many times have we seen the impossible become possible through a simple thought or dream?  Can you imagine all the possibilities and opportunities that would open up in your life just by taking one small step towards your dream or goal?

In Dr. Lynn F. Hellerstein’s book, See It.  Say It.  Do It!, she reinforces this concept of visualization.  By teaching a child to visualize first,  then to verbally affirm that goal as if he has already achieved  it, and finally to take the necessary actions to accomplishing that goal, you are giving that child invaluable tools that will last him his whole lifetime.  You will have instilled a self-confidence that would ensure him to become successful in any area of his life.

It sounds so simple, and yet we don’t even realize what an impact it could actually have in our daily lives.  Some of us already use visualization and don’t even know it, but we don’t use visualization to its full potential.  But if we start now , we can teach ourselves, children, and others how such a simple, yet powerful concept can truly alter people’s lives forever.

Dr.  Hellerstein shows us how easily we can learn and teach visualization techniques by giving us step-by-step instructions and fun activities that can be utilized in any age group.  If you want to make a difference in someone’s life, or even in your own, then you need to read this book and discover for yourself just how powerful your visualization can be for you!

Edna Moore, Vision Therapist

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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I received an email today from the American Optometric Association:

President Barack Obama signed into law a measure that provides nearly $600,000 in new federal resources to help expand the scope and impact of InfantSEE® – the signature public health program of the American Optometric  Association (AOA) and administered by Optometry’s CharityTM – The AOA Foundation.

The first direct appropriation, sponsored by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) totaled $500,000 and is aimed at supporting expansion and outreach of the program.

“Many parents of newborns do not know that the most dramatic development of a child’s visual system occurs within the first year of life,” said Sen. Byrd. “And it is through early detection and treatment of potential problems that parents can help ensure poor vision and eye health does not severely affect their child’s ability to learn and place them at a disadvantage in education and in life.”

The second direct appropriation totaling $90,000 was sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and will support program expansion through outreach in Iowa.

“InfantSEE® is doing much more than identifying and treating risk factors that may cause eye and vision problems later in the life,” said Sen. Harkin. “They are taking prevention to a new level to ensure healthier, thriving children and lower health care costs down the road.”

InfantSEE® assessments are complementary to the routine well-care exams a baby receives from a pediatrician or family physician. Optometrists have the training to identify areas of risk that are critical to vision development and the skills to identify conditions that might not be detected in a routine pediatric wellness exam. In some cases, conditions may need to be monitored, immediately treated or referred to a pediatric eye specialist.

At Bright Eyes, we believe in and support the InfantSEE® program. You can see this post where I discuss Nora’s first eye exam. I will probably do the same when Javier comes in for his exam when he is six months old. If you have a newborn or are expecting, remember that the InfantSEE® exam provides a no-cost vision assessment if your baby is between 6 and 12 months old.

Be well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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Just an FYI that we will be closed during parts of the holiday season to spend time with our families.

Our Holiday Hours:

Thurs, Dec 24th – Open: 10 to 2 p.m.

Fri/Sat, Dec 25th & 26th – CLOSED

Mon/Tues, Dec 28 & 29– Open: 10 to 6p.m.

Wed, Dec 30th – Open: 10 to 8 p.m.

Thurs, Dec 31st – Open: 10 to 2 p.m.

Fri, Jan 1st – CLOSED

Regular hours resume Saturday, Jan 2, 2010!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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Our patients are awesome. Very awesome. I love to work with them. We have had many patients who are so happy with our service and products that they have asked how they can help spread the word about Bright Eyes. Some of these are vision therapy patient, others are PCR Ortho-k patients, and others I have seen for years for the other services we provide.

So if you would like to share your experience with others, I have compiled a few ways that you can help get the word out. Thanks so much for  helping us reach even more patients!

Word of Mouth – This is, of course, always the best and we appreciate it when you share your trust in Bright Eyes Family Vision Care. So tell everyone you know, especially if they or their children need eye care.

Yelp - Yelp.com is a new and exciting website that allows people to review and comment on Tampa businesses, as well as read up on other reviews and chat with friends. We’d love to see a few more reviews of Bright Eyes!

Google Reviews – These are seen when people look us up on line and help improve our Google rating. This is quick and easy and really makes a difference.

Bright Eyes Facebook Page – If you are facebook user, feel free to post a comment on our page!

Twitter – Of course, we always enjoy a quick shout-out on Twitter!

Thanks so much for all of your support. It means a lot to all of the Bright Eyes staff. We cannot continue to provide the service we do without all of you!

THANKS!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD, FAAO
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
10108 Montague St
Westchase, Tampa, FL
P 813-792-0637 F813-792-0657
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For a while now I have been trying to decide where to post the stuff that is not directly, or even indirectly, related to Bright Eyes. Of course, I could open another Wordpress blog, and I used to have a Blogger blog when I was in school. Some colleagues use Tulmbr.com. I do like the simple, clean look and it is easy to use.

And then I discovered Posterous. Although I was first put off by the dinosaur sounding name, due to the unique interface I LOVE IT now!

Basically, it all works via email. I can take a picture or video with my phone and simply email it. Or write something in Gmail and send it whenever I finish it. So instead info on vision expect things like:

and

(click here if video doesn’t play)

and some other ramblings about my upcoming triathlon, social media, music and whatever ramblings I come up with and stuff I find on the web.

See you on the Flip Side.

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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My colleagues and I think and talk about myopia (nearsightedness) every day. We talk about the drawbacks (and rewards) of being myopic. We talk about the causes and treatment options for myopia, both short and long term.

But I have never seen a day like today, with myopia in all the papers and on every major TV news program. Given how quickly news travels today, the total number of people thinking and re-thinking about their eyes and vision is probably higher today than it has ever been!

Yesterday morning, I received an email about a newly released study, “Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004.” While I take it as common knowledge that nearsightedness is increasing in much of the world, including the United States, even I was stunned to see this headline about the study: “Myopia Prevalence Rose 66% over 30-Year Period” There is no way around it, a 66% increase is a lot!

So I posted the link on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn’t really have the time to dedicate to the study until today. And then the really big news hit. There are stories on myopia on  NPR, Discover,  the LA Times, and video segments on Good Morning America and local affiliates such as these and these.

So since this is such a hot topic today, I’ll share what I tell patients almost every day at the office.  But first let me say this:  while vision science has advanced tremendously, and we have a better understanding than ever, there still is a lot that we do not know about the details of nearsightedness and its development. And, although this may shock you to read, there are some less-than-ethical people who will claim to have all the answers and will say with a straight face that they have THE ONLY WAY to either prevent or eliminate nearsightedness or glasses. The truth is that we don’t know exactly how this works and we can never make promises because what may work for 1000 people may not work for you.

But we can say some things about myopia more generally. There is a genetic component for sure, but just because you and your spouse are nearsighted is not a guarantee that your children will be . In fact, there may be more commonly a genetic susceptibility than an actual myopia “gene.” And clearly there are other factors involved because while the population is changing (due to aging and immigration) our US genes haven’t changed that much in 30 years, but our eyes have!

So, as many of the links above point out, our lifestyle can have an impact on vision. Our eyes are inherently best-suited for looking off into the distance. This is easy and natural. Yet today we spend an increasing amount of time and effort focusing within arms-length and in some cases just a few inches. And while we have always had (and will continue to have, I hope) kids and adults with their noses buried in bound books, the truth is that intensely playing tiny video games or texting does require more visual effort. And I can attest from seeing patients at Bright Eyes that children are engaged in these activities at younger and younger ages.

So – if a patient has increasing nearsightedness, or seems predisposed to be nearsighted what are the options? Here  are the refractive options from least to most aggressive.

• Do nothing. Some people prefer to not take any action because they do not have need to see better at a distance and they prefer the vision up close. This is totally reasonable, as long as it is an educated choice and not just by default or neglect. However, this is not itself a treatment for myopia and in fact may promote myopia in the long run.
• Traditional glasses or contacts. This will help a patient see clearly in the distance which is necessary for things like driving or going to school which are important. But it will not address any underlying problems leading to increasing myopia.
• Bifocal Glasses. This method was more popular in prior decades to slow down myopia progression. The scientific studies have not shown it to be as helpful generally, but may be for a  subset of people with specific visual problems.
• Multifocal soft contact. There is small but growing evidence that multifical contacts, like Proclear EP, can provide clear distance vision and limit the progression of nearsightedness.
• Orthokeratology (Corneal Reshaping). There is several scientific studies that have shown that this can provide safe, clear daytime vision, and slow or stop progression of myopia. You can read more about this here. And I have written more about this here.
• Atropine drops. This method of myopia control involved the use of prescription eye drops to keep the eyes dilated. This has been used for years and is more popular in Asia, but has not caught on in the US, due to side effects.

But regardless of which method is employed above, it is wise to take frequent, brief breaks from near work. Looking up and away every 15 minutes or so is a good idea, because there is some evidence that it is not the total time during near work, but the length of the individual periods of work that make a bigger difference. Getting outside more is a good idea, but it is not clear if it is the distance vision, sunlight, or some other benefit. Of course, this is true not just for your eyes, but for your body and mind, too!

As vision professionals, we clearly have much work to do in understanding more about why and how myopia occurs. But it is exciting to know that there are treatment options that can reduce the likelihood of progression.

If you have concerns about your vision or if your children have not been thoroughly evaluated, call us at 813-792-0637 to schedule an appointment. After reviewing the examination findings, we can discuss concerns and treatment options that may be right for you.

Be well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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(Edited to fix a few typos and add some info left out).

As our Twitter followers know, Ficklets are here at Bright Eyes! Ficklets are very cute charms that can be worn on glasses. They come in all kinds of designs, ranging from flowers and starts to footballs and soccer balls. And they are very inexpensive – only $6! Perfect for a stocking stuff or simple Hanukkah gift! And when you come by Bright Eyes, take a look at our Ficklet Christmas Tree!

You can find out more by visiting Ficklets.com and following Ficklets on Twitter.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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Yes, it is that time again. Cold and flu season and that often means “pink eye” AKA conjunctivitis. Here is a little video I found on You Tube about Pink Eye:

If you have a red, irritated eye, don’t wear your contacts. Call the office to schedule an appointment to make sure it isn’t something more serious.

Be Well!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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In the Fall Issue of the of LocalShops1.com magazine, Bright Eyes is mentioned in the Cover Feature “12 Great Finds at Local Shops”.

On page 9, in the upper right hand corner is a picture of Tiffany and Co. sunglasses. The section also features Intensity Academy Hotsauce, one of our favorites.

And remember, your Card LS1 Card entitles you to a Bright Eyes discount, as well as discounts at many other LS1 businesses in Tampa Bay.

So come in and check out the sunglasses…for yourself or for a friend!

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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It is time again for another Bright Eyes Patient Spotlight. Although I enjoy all of our Spotlights, this a more personal one for me because Stefany assisted with the birth of both Nora and, more recently, Javier.

Stefany is not only my patient at Bright Eyes, she is our doula. If you are not familiar with what a doula is, DONA International states that a a doula is “a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.”

But let me tell you what I think a doula is, based on my experience.  A doula is person who make one of the most important and most stressful times of your life better. They can help you understand your options and can act as liaisons with the hospital staff. They can anticipate complex or potentially problematic situations and help prepare you. Mostly they stand by you and support you, regardless of your preferred birthing method or result.  In short, they are great.

Before Nora was born, I had never heard of a doula. After the birth of Nora and Javier, I am a big advocate. I jumped at the chance to learn more about what Stefany does.

Dr. B: Thanks for being willing to answer some questions, Stefany. First, how long have you been a doula?

Stefany: 6 1/2 years

What lead you to become a doula?

I had two difficult labors due to my babies not being positioned properly Although they were both head down, they were not facing the right way which created long painful labors. When I was asked to support my cousin in her labor, I felt there must be something more I could do than just be there, so I started looking up doulas. I wanted to see what they do, specifically, to help the laboring mom. While reading and researching, something clicked and I knew this was what I needed to be doing for all moms.

What is the training like?

For DONA (my ceritifying organization)an intensives workshop is required along with a substanial amount of reading. Then a certain number of births need to be done complete with time lines and evaluations from the mother, Dr. and nurse. Each birth is written up with a description as well as what the doula learned from each. A written paper on the value of labor support is required as well. We are required to attend a childbirth education series (not as an expectant parent) as well as a breastfeeding education series (again not as an expectant parent). The entire process can take anywhere from a few months to two years.

Who could benefit the most from a doula?

EVERY woman. It doesn’t matter who she already has supporting her a doula is truly a necessity to have an empowering birth experience and every woman should feel empowered regardless of her delivery outcome.

What are some major misconceptions about doulas?

Many people feel they don’t need a doula if they are planning a medicated birth or even a c-section. Doulas are there to empower and support moms whatever their birth decisions are to be. Regardless of delivery choices, there will always be information necessary and work to be done. Another misconception is that women who have others supporting them don’t need a doula as they believe that it will be redundant. The fact is, we all have a job to do. This would be like saying I don’t need my doctor, nurse or midwife because I have support. Each person has a role to fulfill. A doula is as necessary as each of those other roles and his or her role is unique to that education. Neither the support people, the nurse, the doctor, or even the midwife has the same training and knowledge a doula does.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We believe every woman should have a doula and her decision to have one should never be factored by cost. We work with a sliding fee scale to be sure every woman can afford our services. We will support all of her birth decisions unconditionally.

Thanks again, Stefany. You have such a wonderful career!

If you would like to find out more about  Touched by an Angel Childbirth services on Facebook and http://www.angeldoula.com

Dr. Bonilla-Warford
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Westchase, Tampa, FL
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