Hi, I'm a fourteen year old freshman and when I searched "lazy eye" on TH-cam, I started looking at videos on how to make it look less noticeable. But then I found this and it hit really close to home. When I take pictures of myself I have come up with a way to have both of my eyes look at the camera. But when people take pictures of me my right eye moves in. I totally understand what it feels like to be bullied for having strabismus, I've been bullied for it since 5th grade. And now in, high school, people don't talk to me about it they just give me weird looks and wonder if I'm looking at them or not, but it hurts just the same. Even when my sister jokingly points out my eye, it hurts. I am amazed at how comfortable you are with it. I pray that maybe one day I can be as inspirational and kind as you. Thank you for sharing this video and showing me that having strabismus isn't so bad after all. :)
Hey if you can control your eyes at times now theres plenty of hope to get back to normal. My lazy eye slowly got worse from the age of 15 to 32(had eye op when i was a baby) and to hated photos being taken. Last week was the first time ive been able to see in 3d! For the last few months ive been doing lots of eye exercises! Look into games like lazy eye tetris(you need 3d red/blue glasses) also try to view some 'parallel images on google) this will combine the two eyes but its very hard at first. For some reason opticians dont focus on trying strengthen your musles which is our problem. The brain can still adapt, it did at my old age :)
Words cannot say how this video made me feel, thank you for having the courage to broadcast yourself and your feelings to the world, it's good to know I am not alone in this cold world
Wow! I'm balling out crying right now. I hate being this way! It's killing me. People don't care how they judge you. I'm getting it everyday. Makes for low self esteem which has developed into a drinking problem. I very intellegent, but see myself as a dumb as because of the way I look. No one takes me serious. Someone pray for me. I don't know how much I can take before something serious happens. I proud of this youtuber. She's done great...but we all are not as strong!
please see yourself more valuable than people's opinion and rude comments. your are a whole person, I'm sure a beautiful person... probably more beautiful inside and out for what you have had to endure and of course intelligent as your stated. practice everyday to become stronger and learn to over come the idiots in the world. they're untrained, uncivilized pathetic schmucks! with or with out strabismis or lazy eye, the world can be cruel. I said a little prayer for you. please find your self esteem again and realize you are better than these mean unimportant emotional terrorist!!
You're right..I have also a lazy eye since an accident...It is ruining my life everyday...I know I'm strong but I'm tired.When it will end?Maybe after my death.Not everyone will understand how it feels...they just think or say,"Oh,relax!It's not a big problem.Atleast you can see"They just think I wear glass & that's not a big problem,but they don’t know how it feels🙂 I can't enjoy my tour,I can't enjoy any occasion just Bcoz ppl stare at me.I can't enjoy my hangouts...I can't even take a photo of mine with that lazy eye!😭 Why man,why??why this happed to me?I just can't tolerate..this is disgusting!! I am loosing my confidence every day...I can't look directly in people’s eye...i can't do eye contacting! It really hurts😭 For this I just started to hate myself!Nowadays I hate to look in the mirror!!😭😭 & now I have started to be alone..😥😓 It really hurts!😖
this made me tear up. thank you. this really helped me. people never knew where i was looking and people wondered where to look. i took surgery and it got fixed a little. but my eyes still “look stupid” even after my surgery. and i’m slowly learning to accept myself and love myself.
There are exercises that work really well, even after surgery. I've never had surgery, but based on my family's experience, it's never worked for them. You can fix you eye by stretching your eye muscle. Google, it and I promise you, after a few months, you won't have a lazy eye.
Whenever I take pictures with my friends they joke around and tell me to look at the camera, but I always am looking straight at the camera... My left eye goes inward too it sucks. I barely have any confidence. I've had it my whole life and I'm starting college in a month I'm scared. All I want is to fit in. Even if someone jokes about my eye it still feels like a punch to the gut and it always lingers with me. This video helped thank u for posting it. There is not a lot of supportive videos out there for strabismus
"Even if someone jokes about my eye it still feels like a punch to the gut and it always lingers with me." Change that. You got to get rid of that feeling and be okay with humour and self-ridicule. You will also start gaining confidence that way and be much more likable as a person. Change the way you think.
@@Gamez4eveR That's very true on what you said. But, I too had strabismis and my frustration and confidence was low to begin with. Now I understood my behavior over the years and had to change myself to a negative to a positive.
I guess I'm gonna have to watch your video at least a few dozen times more for the message to sink in. Still haven't managed to embrace my strabismus ...
I'm 36 and I was born with exotropic strabismus on the left side, which means my left eye points away from my right eye. It's always been visible, even after corrective surgery, but it's gotten worse in the last 10 years or so. I am convinced it's one of the reasons I'm still single.People like me as a person, but they don't consider me beautiful because my eye looks weird. Recently, somebody called me a creep because of it, and that hurt a lot. It's not as if I can help it. People need to understand there's not a lot that can be done about it, and they need to learn to focus on the whole of a person, not just their wandering eye. Thank you for making this video. You and your eyes are gorgeous.
Ive been living with my right being lazy since i was about 2 years of age. Im now in my late twenties and I still here the whispers from other people, "who is she looking at, she's blind, is she looking at me" I tilt my head every time I talk to people. I pray to God that there will be a solution/cure to fix this problem. it has been a struggle all my life. Very Inspiring Story!
First off, I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video. I'm not dealing with this myself, but I was one of those people who insensitive towards other's that were. I was just plain ignorant. However now that I'm older and matured a bit I no longer find people living with this condition humorous, I decided it was time to educate myself on the topic. and this video taught me everything I needed to know. So again, I sincerely appreciate you for this. Thanks for helping me expand, allowing me to keep growing as a person ❤
Nicole, I don't know if you'll read this. I was born perfectly normal. At the age of 3, I was diagnosed with estropia(lazy eye) or strabismus. I used to wear patches too. But now I am 21 year old. I wear corrective glasses but the squint is still somewhat visible. I have always hated it and I have been looking for surgery everywhere. It's quite tough since the measurement of the squint is really small. Anyway, I just want to THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making this video. I realise, there are people like me who have been through what I have. But most importantly, you give me the strength to actually love the way I have been made. The words you said tore me apart because I could feel each and every word you said but they also gave me an unusual faith that, it's okay to be different than everyone. It's okay to be unique. I know how it feels when people act differently but it's okay. I am very thankful to you. And I just want to tell you that don't loose the optimism, you are helping others in a great way. You are beautiful just the way you are. So am I. And so is everybody else.
I had strabismus. I completely understand everything you went through, the feelings, the shame. I had two surgeries just so kids would stop making fun of my eyes. My strabismus also caused mental delays, speech delays, and my dyslexia. Which they never confirmed if my poor eye sight caused my Dyslexia or if Dyslexia caused my poor eyesight. but with the problems i had, i learned many things that some people just don't. Being humble, sympathetic, caring...etc. My son is now facing the same fate and im doing everything in my power to "fix it" while he is still young, i dont want the best years of his life to be ruined by the eye patch school photo. So he can play sports and be able to gage the distance of the ball. So he can go swimming with friends when hes older and them not question what is wrong with his eye when he takes off his glasses..... The people in my family dont understand why i cry over my sons problems, i tell him dont take off your glasses in front of anyone. I know to some this my sound wrong, he should embrace his problems. Not in this world. What i went through i will not have my son go through. If it had not been for the doctor who pushed my mother to get the cosmetic surgery after everything they had done to fix my eye, i would still have the "lazy eye". Swear after my eye was "fixed". i was then asked out, had more friends, i didnt have the feeling people were laughing at me when i walked by, people didnt randomly come up and ask me what was wrong with my eye. My eye still turns lazy every now and then, but with contacts and or my glasses, i dont have that problem.
I had this as well, and it got to the point where we went to a doctor, there is a surgery for this which I had very recently, and although I wasn't ashamed of it, having the surgery gave me a huge self-confidence boost! If you are interested, it is plainly called strabismus surgery, you get knocked out by anesthesia, the surgery takes 30 minutes, and it takes about a week to recover
I have strabismus as well and I can say it sucks.One of my eyes will turn out if I switch out my eyes.Its definitely affected my self esteem over the years.Even now I find it tough to look people in the face.I'm 21 and it can be very disheartening when I go on job interviews.I am able straighten my eyes out sometimes but doing it for so long strains my eyes and creates double vision. Its very frustrating.Thanks for sharing your story. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one in the world going through this.:3
Omg it's soo cool to see people who really understands Some people jus don't get it I'm not able to walk in a crowded area and jus look around I keep my head down Squint my eyes And avoid eye contact Eye contact is such a big thing And it sucks to know people really notice it right away Thank God for people who really ignore it but ugh there always gonna question It really is depressing
the same thing to me , ppl are dicks they dont know how much it does hurt when they make jokes or jsut keep looking at awkwardly :( i just hate it Im 18 years old and i still cant do eye contact with anyone even my own mother.
Stan Em I'm 25. Had surgery almost 10 years ago now, it only helped a little bit. I was fortunate to have good friends from preschool through high school, but now - nothing. Couldn't make any friends in college, got crazy anxiety, couldn't go to class. Couldn't go to job interviews, moved back in with mom. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE. People talk about moving forward while having a shitty past, say their parents abused them, etc... well this is something that is hard to move on from, because it's still there, the potential for abuse is still there. It's not something you can run away from, because it's literally a part of you. Having trouble moving forward. Been in quite a psychological rut recently, but I refuse to give up. Yes, it does seem hopeless. There are definitely days when I feel like I am not strong enough to move forward. I just hope I can get through all of those without hurting myself. Nothing is more important than friendship and intimacy. Hopefully I will get to experience intimacy before my time here is up. I'm really starting to get sick of being me. I'm over being short, been over it for a long time. This is a different beast. Really need therapy to get through this. Vision therapy and regular talk therapy, and maybe also cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Lots of work to do on the inner world. If left neglected, well, let's just say I'm starting to have urges to break things, which I have not followed up on. I will cry when I find someone who truly cares.
Raddmiral i do care my friend, we all here do. Why did your surgery helped a bit? i've met so many ppl like us and so many of em had surgery and they're great now. and dont worry about it mate . god just wanted us to play this game on pro mode just cause we're able to play it . we're strong!!
I have the same shit and i didn't let it stop me become well known and well liked in my high school but i can see why these niggas be rashing and blasting people like us. I get it. We look stupid. Like nigga where you looking at? Hahaha id probably toss jokes at some kid with my problem but i can't because ill look like a hypocrite
I was bullied all my life because of my strabismus. From kindergarten to elementary to high school. And that made me a loner because of those bombarded little shits who are really insensitive. Even talking to the teacher or with someone else is really embarrassing for me. Tss
Can I just say you are a beautiful soul and by putting up a video like this is very brave and comforting for others who struggle with people looking at them or being socialy accepted May God bless you and keep smiling !!! Ps I have a lazy eye too and I have been living with it for 36 years ....❤
Wow.... So much respect. I have also strabismus on my left eye but it is also blind.... Im 21 years old. I have a twinsister who is normal... But what is 'normal'.. We are normal aswell. Love your story. Stefan
I know exactly how you feel, been dealing with strabismus for 25 years. I never looked anyone in the eyes, I never looked into a camera, always looking at angles to look slightly less stupid, worrying how people must think you're mentally inept...never really helped me, it was horrible. 5 days ago I went in for muscular surgery in both eyes, I have to say the process isn't very enjoyable, but it hasn't even been a week, and I've never had straighter eyes, I feel way more confident, and can't wait to go see a 3d movie, I honestly recommend seeing what you can do for surgery, it helps.
i got the surgery done in april, still adapting, i still see double, and with enough strain i cansee 3d up close, but wow it's been quite a boost in life
i feel you. i get that eyes since i was born. its hard to straighten it especially when i take a school photo or video... right eyes go it own direction. and yes, i am used to every single bullying in this life. stay strong.
I have a lazy eye too but it goes outward. You're beautiful - I wish I could be as confident as you. I use to wish I were normal too and I know exactly what you mean when you say you wish people wouldn't ask you if you're looking at them. I even had my own friends turn on me and ask me " where are you looking??" Just to make fun of me...that question haunts me. you are so strong and brave. Thank you for sharing this. Truly. I felt so alone when I was in school and wished people weren't so insensitive. Your video makes me feel more accepting of myself just watching it. All the love in the world..
You have a great attitude. Thanks for posting. I was born with it and still have it in my 40s and I will always have it and I learned to never, ever make fun of anyone for anything.
Hey there. I'm a nineteen year old incoming senior and I've got strabismus as well. Your video moved me cry because it really hit home with me. Everything you said described how I feel. I never really talk to my friends or family about how much it really affects me that my eye is lazy. Mostly because they cant relate. It hurts when they point it out in conversation or ask why i'm not looking at the camera. I know not everyone says it to be mean but there are some out there that do. I took my senior picture a few weeks ago and yes my eye went in. As a girl it just makes me feel so ugly that I hate every picture I take. Like you said every crowing achievement in my life is ruined. Its great to know there's other people out there who share my feelings and have moved past it, and embraced it. I only hope I can do the same.
i feel exactly like you. i didn't even like taking pics or going out. I wasted 4 years of my life by staying indoor. but luckily I had surgery 3 days ago and its better than before. So i suggest you to undergo surgery, it'll definitely help you
hi i havehad lazy eye since I was 4 (1979) and I haveust learned to live with it. it's no the end and we are all beautiful no matter what. all the best for you
I love how you expressed your feelings in this piece. Especially about going out of your way to be kind to everyone. I know what that's like. It's great seeing videos like this on youtube. :)
When you said you act like a better person because of it I feel that, I REALLY FEEL THAT. It makes you nicer than all of the people who have never faced any problems like being death with a hearing aid, or have a lazy eye like me.
I have a lazy eye, and so does two of my kids, but they show up mostly in photos. I think it's worse when I'm tired. It's not extreme, but noticeable at times.
I also wish of that.. 😢😢😢 I'm 28 now,, living with this condition is not easy but i must say it helps me a lot,, and there is nothing to be ashamed of,, now I'm a registered nurse and a licensed professional teacher.. No one can stop me in reaching my goal not even this eye,, I don't care if they close the door for me.. I will make my own door to open.. I know God is with me.. Nothing is impossible if you have God in you.. 😊
@Jasmine Sharma don't be so hard on yourself,, you have so many things to do.. Don't be discouraged because of your conditions.. Try to look your situation in a positive way, like be more productive in your everyday life and you must explore yourself to the things that you can do..Don't limit yourself, just be happy and grateful..
I think we're about the same age, (Yes, I know this was 3 years ago.) and you pretty much read my life to me on this youtube video. I think we've went through alot of the same struggles. Good for you for having the personal strength to make a video like this, it takes alot of guts. I certainly couldn't do it. I just had surgery on my eye to correct it (I'm on day three...Still healing! Wish me luck!)
Well said Nicole. Living with strabismus is not easy. I'm 31 and my eye started to cross in at the age 2..I didn't get the patch till it was too late(so the doctors say after age 7). At the age of 16 I had surgery and once again the year after. My eye was centered and it made a big difference, but due to lack of therapy the muscle weakened and now wanders in and out at times... Surgery can only do so much, therapy must follow for more long lasting positive results. I'm now trying to wear a patch at home while focusing on the computer or with video games to strengthen the muscle.. To improve any muscles you need to exercise them.. I wish I knew this as a child. If you know anyone going through this please share your information. Living with a lazy eye can be very depressing, never lose confidence in yourself.
Jonathan, I agree. I'm 23 and I have exotropia (eye turns out), and it can be very depressing at times to have this condition, especially (in my opinion) as a female. I DON'T take pictures of myself, and I look at myself sideways in the mirror so that I can't see my turned eye. Having strabismus definitely affects an individual's self-confidence and self-esteem.
I have esotropia and I get asked "are you talking to me" and "what are you looking at lol".... and it I've dealed with this all my life. Definitely a major biggie for bullies to call out. But I don't let it bother me now because I've learned to embrace it and accept it for how it is. You guys shouldn't let it bother you because everyone is perfect in their own way and everyone should love who they are. Inside and out.
i love how positive she is and after 4 surgeries im getting there as well i wouldn't be as caring and understanding and everything she said hit the point i've had it for 16 years and im getting there one day at a time.
this is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen relating to strabismus. growing up I felt so alone living with exotropia (meaning my eye points outwards), and this helped me a lot! thank you!
Thank you so much for the video. You rock Nicole! I have the exact same condition as you. I’m 44 years old, and I accept myself with my Strabismus. However, I can tell you its had a significant negative impact on my overall quality of life in terms of career development, finding a partner, and my mental health (depression, anxiety, and social phobia). I can tell you it has also made me a more understanding and empathetic individual as well.
i can understand ur feelings...m also having same problem....i only wish to know can it be corrected at the age 19....m feeling hell embarrassing and always suffer lack of confidence all the tym...u r really a strong girl...i respect u nd wish god to gave the same strength to me....
Thanks for sharing. I have strabismus as well (in my case it's exotropia) and I well know the feeling of looking at photographs of myself and feeling that they are somehow "ruined". Thankfully, there are many many more wonderful people than there are cruel people.
It has been just a little over 3 months since the surgery and I am so happy with it! The vision is good! No more double vision! I had my surgery done in Mississauga Ontario Canada! My eye was very badly turned! I wish I could show you a picture of the difference!
I was also born with a lazy eye, however my sight was severely impaired, double vision, wandering dark shadow and I am partially sighted. My parents did their best, patches, glasses, but maybe an operation could have helped early on. waited till I was 18 to have what was then cosmetic surgery, but I was told my sight would not improve. I had immense teasing, and being shy my self esteem was hindered, even into my adult years, not confident. Tiredness, reading problems, doing sport. Nicole is brave, and fortunate to not have impairment. She is so right about embracing it, as people who have these problems are sensitive people and are kind. I had an apology from one of my teasers 20 years later, better late than never.
This video is so encouraging! I have strabismus as well. The same case as yours. I embrace my situation. I don't care what people thinks but sometimes people tend to laugh at me. I will undergo surgery next week because it is affecting my vision. Hope many people will see this so they can learn what it feels to be i our shoes!
I can relate to your experiences with strabismus, and I've never heard anyone describe it so well. I was born cross-eyed and have had strabismus surgery four times. I am 55 years old now; I have always had double vision and in all likelihood I always will. I can mentally block out my lazy eye, but the only real way for me to see one of everything is to close one eye. My brain sees two 2D images and is incapable of fusing them to give me binocular vision. My lazy eye does not prevent me from driving a car, but I find doing things that other people take for granted (such as playing sports) very difficult if not impossible. I have never enjoyed reading, and my greatest fear in school was being told to read a book and write a book report. I don't like seeing my lazy eye in photographs so I try to force my eyes to look straight, and this is why I rarely have my picture taken. Many people don't notice that my eyes are misaligned, and those who do, for the most part, are understanding. Regarding those whose reactions and comments are less than considerate, yes, it does hurt. I've never thought of it before, but maybe having a lazy eye is part of the reason I am inclined to treat people with kindness. As much as I wish I could experience the world through a pair of eyes that work equally and produce a 3D environment, I cannot imagine a different way of seeing things. This video has given me a new perspective (no pun intended) on life and I will watch it again. Thank you for sharing.
Such a strong video!! I wish I saw this in high school. I was sereverly bullied because I had a lazy eye and was considered to be "good looking". It took me until my twenties to accept it. Thanks for sharing!!!
This video is beautiful! I study as an optician and this is really interesting for me. It helped me to understand how people with strabismus feel. I don't need to know but I wanted really badly to know. Great video, I love it
this was so encouraging. I have suffered with it my entire life as well and know the trouble it causes and know how mean people can be. I just got the strabismus surgery and although I'm still recovering I am so excited to see the results and finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I wish you the best!
I'm so happy for you that you have learned to imbrace this! i had a lazy eye from about 24 to 37 years old and just this year in June i got the surgery to correct it and it was the best decision! I am very happy with the outcome i have confidence to look people in the eye when I'm talking to them and just more confidence altogether! I was always very bothered by mine! But good for you! :)
Just made my day. I'm 13 and I have exotropia. I used to be sad when people talked to me because they would avoid eye contact and always seemed uncomfortable around me. Now I'm getting surgery for it and I'm scared but I want to get better. Thanks for sharing your story :)
I've had strabismus since birth; two surgeries in childhood (one on each eye) failed to correct it. Like Nicole says, it becomes a part of who one is. I wouldn't change that now. It does, of course, alter some things -- depth perception is messed with, since without both eyes' image being processed by the brain into one "stereo" image, that element is missing. Thanks, Nicole... very inspiring.
+Akasha Divinity No, they *never* worked. Mine were done in the 1960s, long before they had computers capable of micro-adjusting the eyes to track together. In the old days I suspect there was a bit of the voodoo-esque about it. The doc had to basically guess. (I'm perhaps overplaying that, but not by much.)
Your exact words, "I wouldn't be who I am."...this has made you who you are...strong,independent, and most of all UNIQUE...I know its easier said than done but f everyone else...your awesome and beautiful....
Oh my god I feel the same. My eye points outwards. Lots of people always said “are you looking at me?” Or “which eye are you looking through?” They would also say “do you see differently?” Or “is your left eye blind?” I also wear glasses (which don’t help my lazy eye) and people ask “are you blind without your glasses?”
the correct attitude girl!!! good for you. we cant change our family but other than that, if people cant accept how you look than you dont need them in your life. people,(myself included) just take for granted our eyes r straight and will never understand the pain, strife, and mockery a lazy-eyed person goes thru on a daily basis. we all know how mean kids at school can be. my son has a lazy eye (hes 9) and it killed me when hearing other kids making fun of him in a joint effort at the playground. true love overcomes everything. in todays world you just dont see people of prominent roles on t.v. or media being cross-eyed. or its very rare. unfortunately, its just how its gonna go. social media today is looks, and "lets take a picture", post it on facebook or whatever. class pictures, proms, graduations, weddings. its along the lines of," you really dont know until you've walked in their shoes". yes its inside that counts but dont you think lazy-eyed people r tired of hearing that?surgery or not, life is and or can be very painful. i commend this girl for posting this video.
i have the same thing except my left eye turns out instead of turning in. Though i can control it when i want it to turn out and when i don't want it to turn out. But sometimes when im looking at a pen in close range, my left eye tends to turn out on its own. At first i hated it but as time goes by, i got used to it and sometimes it helps me with certain activities. My left eye can see better at night than my right. Am i thankful for this? I guess............
thank you for making this video. i have had strabismus all my life. it affected me greatly. i never volunteered for anything in school, hated pictures and hated when people made fun of me. i turned to drugs and partying at an early age to be more accepted and be cool. that was a disaster. it led to more depression and anger at people. it led me to be less social and caring. i am now 45 married and will finally go in to have an evaluation for surgery. my head hurts sometimes because i cant read for long. i isolate myself from even family because everyone wants to take pictures when they're having a good time. i just stay away. i want to fix my eye. i'm to the point that i'd rather not have an eye than have an eye that people make fun of. even those that are close to you make fun of you. pretty sad. but i guess it shows what people are all about even if they're your family.
I was born with strabismus and I had it most of my childhood,when I was 11 or 12 I got corrective surgery,my eyes are straight but I lack vision in my right and even though my eyes are straight I have really low self esteem....I can't look at people in the eyes...all that teaseing when I was young was hard and even though my family tell me my eyes are fine I can't help it,I wish I was half as strong as you....you made me cry......your a really pretty girl by the way thank you for posting this video :)
That's nice, when I can see, that I'm not the only one, who has this problem. Nobady, who doesn't have Strabismus can imagine, how hard is living with this. So thank you very much for this video!! And please excuse my english :))
I have exotropia in my right eye, which means my eye turns out. It has really affected my self esteem: I don't take pictures of myself, look people straight in the eye, or even look at myself in the mirror straight in the eye. It is really visible to me, but I have been told by others that they don't notice it. I am struggling to learn to accept it, but it is so hard. I was born prematurely at 25 weeks by a mother who was addicted to drugs, so my premature birth affected my eyesight...
Hi my name is Richard. I never EVER comment of peoples post on TH-cam but your video really meant a lot to me. I am like you. I have a lazy eye as well. When I was younger my eye too was normal but it would wander. I've had surgeries since but my eye still points up a little still. This video really touched my heart because of our similar stories. Its funny, I hate it when I meet someone and want to sit on one side of them so that I can see them better and so I can look more appealing to them haha. I think you can relate. It's silly, but like you I've learned to love and accept myself. If someone else can't talk to me because my appearance bothers them, then that is too bad for them. We don't need those people in our lives if they choose not to be compassionate and understanding. Growing up in school is hard right? All the mean people. A lot of time though I really don't even think about my "condition". Now that I'm older. In College too, people don't ever even say anything offensive usually. People grow up (for the most part haha). Your condition ends up just becomes a part of you. Which is great because well it is. haha Lastly and most importantly, I just want to say, you are a beautiful girl and seem to have a great confident personality. There is nothing wrong with you. I hope my post brings you joy. Peace!
Wow. I'm years late to this vid but thanks for it. Just like you it doesn't impair my sight much but it effects me in harsh light and sunlight causing my squint. I was never properly diagnosed because and never new i had a problem till i was in middle school (primary). I never meet anyone with this condition so it feels like i am always alone. I still have a hard time looking at people, lol, i guess i feel they'll never be able to tell since i have small eyes. I wish this was just my only problem but unfortunately there's more. But on the bright side this video really made me feel heard and understood and that's all i want so thank you. I'm currently 21 which is ironic since you were turning 21 as at the time of the video. Much love
I have had a lazy eye all my life .. I have had 3 Operations ... I am now going for my 4th one, this Thursday (21/11/2013) .... I am grateful for having it all my life because its made me who I am... but is now time for all of us that have had it our whole life to have a chance to fix it.. the technology is there now. I will let you know how it goes after my operation.. Keep strong.....
Hi ..my surgery went very well . Even though it has been 2 months already im only now starting to recover properly .. on the left eye they cut three muscles and right eye they cut one. Both eyes were closed for about 4 days... I had an amazing doctor his name is Mr Du Plessis (Eye Institute of Pretoria) I am going for an checkup on the 3rd Feb.. I can give you another update then if you like.. I am more confident when meeting new people especially when attending corporate meetings.. im very happy so far .. I still do have a bit of recovery to still tho ...
Good to hear!! Did you fly over to South Africa? yes, interested in your progress on Feb 3 too. Anyway, my email is r.speziale@gmail.com, best to chat private.
Nicole, thanks for the post. I'm 64 and was "cross-eyed" as a kid. I had surgery at 7 but apparently it was too late and my brain simply couldn't integrate two images (and they are not exactly coincident anyhow). Although my eyes no longer look crossed, I can only focus with one eye at time (but still have peripheral vision in the other). Then after a while, my brain will switch eyes and my eyes will shift. The eye machines at the eye doctors office don't seem to have a clue. Where it seems to serve me well is when driving at night. If I get blinded by high beams, I just switch eyes! As a kid I was athletic but trying to catch a fly ball or a line drive aimed right at me was nearly impossible so those types of sports were out. Instead I did things like rifle team and judo! Again, thanks for the post, I've never really had the chance to talk about it.
my eyes are crossed since grade school and I was diagnosed of havinf high myopia. i've been wearing eye glasses and contact lenses for a longtime because aside from having crossed eye , I have high myopia too. It just I can barely see anything . but this video inspire me a lot. to accept everything and embrace what I have .
I'm so humbled and moved by you're strength and courage and I'm proud of you for making this video and being an inspiration for other people selflessly casting aside your pride to share your views on life dealing with this distinct part of you. I just recently met a woman who has a similar uniqueness about them and she's gorgeous such as yourself and my only fear is not being able to get as far as being able to take her out one day because she might not have the time to or if we don't reach that point, but I wish you nothing but the best in life and all you do... P.S wish me luck 😆
I still remember when I didn’t have a lazyeye I used to like going out on public a lot. Look at people in the eyes I used to be more confident with myself, I started to noticed I was getting a lazy eye in my teens. Friends and family would point it out & I never really noticed until I started taking pictures or when I would look myself in the mirror. At first it wouldn’t really bother me but then it started to. I would find ways to hide it or not to make it much noticeable so sometimes people didn’t really know I had a lazy eye unless they really put attention to it, my girl friend left me once she found out I had a lazy eye I started going to vision therapy hoping it gets better
This made me cry i have a lazy eye (i can't see out of it either) im 15 turning 16 next month im in year 11 most people ask about it, some pick on me, when i talk to someone thats all i think about (omg omg they are judging me) i have had surgury on it, it was alot worse when i was younger both eyes weren't focused now my right eye just plays up never in line with my other one and i can't do anything about it and people don't get that everyone has flaws just some people's are more noticeable then others, we just want to be accepted but some people just make you feels so terrible about it and put haunting thoughts in your head its like no one's perfect and don't question things that arn't anything to do with you and also if someone was talking to me you would know its not just about your eyes it's about where your face is and your posture and its easy to tell I've met other people with lazy eyes not once did i question and we knew we were talking to eachother.... just because you have one does not make you less of a person.
+Amelyn Hilvano I know it's hard. I have the same problem. But don't give up. I've learned that every person on this planet has something they dont like. Also dont be afraid to look someone in the eye. Really, try to be happy with yourself and enjoy the thing you DO like to have. But i feel you. You can do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Sielstra thank u yay u makes me cry but yeah acceptance is the key.. just only wish we can look at them straight.. anyway thanks for ur msge.. ur nice :)
I am 18 and have had the same problem, everything u said I have felt the same way. Except my eye faces out, and I don't see out of both eyes at the same time. (I still have depth perception though). And thanks for making the video, it makes me feel a whole lot better
Great video, thanks. Someone asked just now if I was speaking to them and that made me quite sad and so I searched lazy eye on Google and found your video. But my eyes were a lot worse when I was young, so I can't complain. And hey there are a lot of worse conditions to have. A pace
Hello, just saw your video. This video helped me and thank you for posting it. I have the same exact issue and it is hereditary. I had surgery when I was 8. The surgery worked for most of my life. I am 47 now and just recently noticed pictures with my eye drifting outward. It happens when I am nervous or tired. I just saw a Vision Therapist and he compared me to a three legged dog. According to the Vision Therapist, if a dog loses a leg, it does not spend time worrying about it. They immediately learn how to run faster and better than a four legged dog. These dogs are just as happy and in some cases better than four legged ones. That summed up my experience with my lazy eye and it reminds me of your video. My right eye has become dominant and it is my camera #1 and my left eye has become weaker, my camera #2. I suppose I will go through a surgery one of these days and make my eye look cosmetically straighter, but I am not rushing into it.
your a very strong girl, I have strabismus and its very hard to live with. I could relate to everything you had to say in this video, and im glad im not the only one that has to go though with this.Its a very hard thing to go though. im really happy i found this video. stay strong
Hi, I'm a fourteen year old freshman and when I searched "lazy eye" on TH-cam, I started looking at videos on how to make it look less noticeable. But then I found this and it hit really close to home. When I take pictures of myself I have come up with a way to have both of my eyes look at the camera. But when people take pictures of me my right eye moves in. I totally understand what it feels like to be bullied for having strabismus, I've been bullied for it since 5th grade. And now in, high school, people don't talk to me about it they just give me weird looks and wonder if I'm looking at them or not, but it hurts just the same. Even when my sister jokingly points out my eye, it hurts. I am amazed at how comfortable you are with it. I pray that maybe one day I can be as inspirational and kind as you. Thank you for sharing this video and showing me that having strabismus isn't so bad after all. :)
Hey if you can control your eyes at times now theres plenty of hope to get back to normal. My lazy eye slowly got worse from the age of 15 to 32(had eye op when i was a baby) and to hated photos being taken.
Last week was the first time ive been able to see in 3d! For the last few months ive been doing lots of eye exercises! Look into games like lazy eye tetris(you need 3d red/blue glasses) also try to view some 'parallel images on google) this will combine the two eyes but its very hard at first.
For some reason opticians dont focus on trying strengthen your musles which is our problem. The brain can still adapt, it did at my old age :)
Sarah Brandon yes me too
@@diamindramirez3346 what's your email address?
My daughter also bullied when she have this problem at 11 yrs.old now she is 15 she have a normal eyes after two times surgery
this made me tear up. thank you for letting me know that i’m not alone, in this lonely cold world.
Words cannot say how this video made me feel, thank you for having the courage to broadcast yourself and your feelings to the world, it's good to know I am not alone in this cold world
Wow! I'm balling out crying right now. I hate being this way! It's killing me. People don't care how they judge you. I'm getting it everyday. Makes for low self esteem which has developed into a drinking problem. I very intellegent, but see myself as a dumb as because of the way I look. No one takes me serious. Someone pray for me. I don't know how much I can take before something serious happens. I proud of this youtuber. She's done great...but we all are not as strong!
lol I also think like you living with cross eye socks 😢
please see yourself more valuable than people's opinion and rude comments. your are a whole person, I'm sure a beautiful person... probably more beautiful inside and out for what you have had to endure and of course intelligent as your stated. practice everyday to become stronger and learn to over come the idiots in the world. they're untrained, uncivilized pathetic schmucks! with or with out strabismis or lazy eye, the world can be cruel. I said a little prayer for you. please find your self esteem again and realize you are better than these mean unimportant emotional terrorist!!
You're right..I have also a lazy eye since an accident...It is ruining my life everyday...I know I'm strong but I'm tired.When it will end?Maybe after my death.Not everyone will understand how it feels...they just think or say,"Oh,relax!It's not a big problem.Atleast you can see"They just think I wear glass & that's not a big problem,but they don’t know how it feels🙂 I can't enjoy my tour,I can't enjoy any occasion just Bcoz ppl stare at me.I can't enjoy my hangouts...I can't even take a photo of mine with that lazy eye!😭 Why man,why??why this happed to me?I just can't tolerate..this is disgusting!! I am loosing my confidence every day...I can't look directly in people’s eye...i can't do eye contacting! It really hurts😭 For this I just started to hate myself!Nowadays I hate to look in the mirror!!😭😭 & now I have started to be alone..😥😓 It really hurts!😖
this made me tear up. thank you. this really helped me. people never knew where i was looking and people wondered where to look. i took surgery and it got fixed a little. but my eyes still “look stupid” even after my surgery. and i’m slowly learning to accept myself and love myself.
There are exercises that work really well, even after surgery. I've never had surgery, but based on my family's experience, it's never worked for them. You can fix you eye by stretching your eye muscle. Google, it and I promise you, after a few months, you won't have a lazy eye.
Whenever I take pictures with my friends they joke around and tell me to look at the camera, but I always am looking straight at the camera... My left eye goes inward too it sucks. I barely have any confidence. I've had it my whole life and I'm starting college in a month I'm scared. All I want is to fit in. Even if someone jokes about my eye it still feels like a punch to the gut and it always lingers with me. This video helped thank u for posting it. There is not a lot of supportive videos out there for strabismus
My friends did that too :((
+Amanda Griffith me too i dont like the taking pictures because i look weird and i wear always glasses suposing that can minimize strabismis
"Even if someone jokes about my eye it still feels like a punch to the gut and it always lingers with me."
Change that. You got to get rid of that feeling and be okay with humour and self-ridicule. You will also start gaining confidence that way and be much more likable as a person. Change the way you think.
@@Gamez4eveR That's very true on what you said. But, I too had strabismis and my frustration and confidence was low to begin with. Now I understood my behavior over the years and had to change myself to a negative to a positive.
I guess I'm gonna have to watch your video at least a few dozen times more for the message to sink in. Still haven't managed to embrace my strabismus ...
Needed to hear this. Thank you.
I'm 36 and I was born with exotropic strabismus on the left side, which means my left eye points away from my right eye. It's always been visible, even after corrective surgery, but it's gotten worse in the last 10 years or so. I am convinced it's one of the reasons I'm still single.People like me as a person, but they don't consider me beautiful because my eye looks weird. Recently, somebody called me a creep because of it, and that hurt a lot. It's not as if I can help it. People need to understand there's not a lot that can be done about it, and they need to learn to focus on the whole of a person, not just their wandering eye. Thank you for making this video. You and your eyes are gorgeous.
Ive been living with my right being lazy since i was about 2 years of age. Im now in my late twenties and I still here the whispers from other people, "who is she looking at, she's blind, is she looking at me" I tilt my head every time I talk to people. I pray to God that there will be a solution/cure to fix this problem. it has been a struggle all my life. Very Inspiring Story!
person will love you for who you are, not by how you look
im an married man with my left eyed zoomed in and im happy
be positive !!!
First off, I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video. I'm not dealing with this myself, but I was one of those people who insensitive towards other's that were. I was just plain ignorant.
However now that I'm older and matured a bit I no longer find people living with this condition humorous, I decided it was time to educate myself on the topic. and this video taught me everything I needed to know.
So again, I sincerely appreciate you for this. Thanks for helping me expand, allowing me to keep growing as a person ❤
Nicole, I don't know if you'll read this. I was born perfectly normal. At the age of 3, I was diagnosed with estropia(lazy eye) or strabismus. I used to wear patches too. But now I am 21 year old. I wear corrective glasses but the squint is still somewhat visible. I have always hated it and I have been looking for surgery everywhere. It's quite tough since the measurement of the squint is really small. Anyway, I just want to THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making this video. I realise, there are people like me who have been through what I have. But most importantly, you give me the strength to actually love the way I have been made. The words you said tore me apart because I could feel each and every word you said but they also gave me an unusual faith that, it's okay to be different than everyone. It's okay to be unique. I know how it feels when people act differently but it's okay. I am very thankful to you. And I just want to tell you that don't loose the optimism, you are helping others in a great way. You are beautiful just the way you are. So am I. And so is everybody else.
I had strabismus. I completely understand everything you went through, the feelings, the shame. I had two surgeries just so kids would stop making fun of my eyes. My strabismus also caused mental delays, speech delays, and my dyslexia. Which they never confirmed if my poor eye sight caused my Dyslexia or if Dyslexia caused my poor eyesight. but with the problems i had, i learned many things that some people just don't. Being humble, sympathetic, caring...etc. My son is now facing the same fate and im doing everything in my power to "fix it" while he is still young, i dont want the best years of his life to be ruined by the eye patch school photo. So he can play sports and be able to gage the distance of the ball. So he can go swimming with friends when hes older and them not question what is wrong with his eye when he takes off his glasses..... The people in my family dont understand why i cry over my sons problems, i tell him dont take off your glasses in front of anyone. I know to some this my sound wrong, he should embrace his problems. Not in this world. What i went through i will not have my son go through. If it had not been for the doctor who pushed my mother to get the cosmetic surgery after everything they had done to fix my eye, i would still have the "lazy eye". Swear after my eye was "fixed". i was then asked out, had more friends, i didnt have the feeling people were laughing at me when i walked by, people didnt randomly come up and ask me what was wrong with my eye. My eye still turns lazy every now and then, but with contacts and or my glasses, i dont have that problem.
I had this as well, and it got to the point where we went to a doctor, there is a surgery for this which I had very recently, and although I wasn't ashamed of it, having the surgery gave me a huge self-confidence boost! If you are interested, it is plainly called strabismus surgery, you get knocked out by anesthesia, the surgery takes 30 minutes, and it takes about a week to recover
Still now are your eyes straight ?
I come back to this video every year.
I have strabismus as well and I can say it sucks.One of my eyes will turn out if I switch out my eyes.Its definitely affected my self esteem over the years.Even now I find it tough to look people in the face.I'm 21 and it can be very disheartening when I go on job interviews.I am able straighten my eyes out sometimes but doing it for so long strains my eyes and creates double vision. Its very frustrating.Thanks for sharing your story. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one in the world going through this.:3
u can go for surgery dear...hpe it may help..
Mamta Rani surgery won't be successful in all cases. I did the one that fixes the eye muscle. It reduced, but I still got my lazy eye.
oh ....sad to hear dear...
You go girl!! So brave. I think pure beautiful with or without a lazy eye
Omg it's soo cool to see people who really understands
Some people jus don't get it
I'm not able to walk in a crowded area and jus look around I keep my head down
Squint my eyes
And avoid eye contact
Eye contact is such a big thing
And it sucks to know people really notice it right away
Thank God for people who really ignore it but ugh there always gonna question
It really is depressing
the same thing to me , ppl are dicks they dont know how much it does hurt when they make jokes or jsut keep looking at awkwardly :( i just hate it Im 18 years old and i still cant do eye contact with anyone even my own mother.
Stan Em I'm 25. Had surgery almost 10 years ago now, it only helped a little bit. I was fortunate to have good friends from preschool through high school, but now - nothing. Couldn't make any friends in college, got crazy anxiety, couldn't go to class. Couldn't go to job interviews, moved back in with mom. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE.
People talk about moving forward while having a shitty past, say their parents abused them, etc... well this is something that is hard to move on from, because it's still there, the potential for abuse is still there. It's not something you can run away from, because it's literally a part of you.
Having trouble moving forward. Been in quite a psychological rut recently, but I refuse to give up. Yes, it does seem hopeless. There are definitely days when I feel like I am not strong enough to move forward. I just hope I can get through all of those without hurting myself.
Nothing is more important than friendship and intimacy. Hopefully I will get to experience intimacy before my time here is up. I'm really starting to get sick of being me. I'm over being short, been over it for a long time. This is a different beast.
Really need therapy to get through this. Vision therapy and regular talk therapy, and maybe also cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Lots of work to do on the inner world. If left neglected, well, let's just say I'm starting to have urges to break things, which I have not followed up on. I will cry when I find someone who truly cares.
Raddmiral i do care my friend, we all here do. Why did your surgery helped a bit? i've met so many ppl like us and so many of em had surgery and they're great now.
and dont worry about it mate . god just wanted us to play this game on pro mode just cause we're able to play it . we're strong!!
thanks , i need surgery again i jus hope it works this time
caro bree Goodluck man i will pray for you !! tell us the result can't wait ;)
Very beautiful video, Nicole! In a way, we all have a lazy eye. Thank you for your refreshing candor!
I was born with a lazy eye 👀 , people do see me different . I never understand why kids always bully me when I was in High school 😢 ?
I have the same shit and i didn't let it stop me become well known and well liked in my high school but i can see why these niggas be rashing and blasting people like us. I get it. We look stupid. Like nigga where you looking at? Hahaha id probably toss jokes at some kid with my problem but i can't because ill look like a hypocrite
I was bullied all my life because of my strabismus. From kindergarten to elementary to high school. And that made me a loner because of those bombarded little shits who are really insensitive. Even talking to the teacher or with someone else is really embarrassing for me. Tss
Linda Deshommes same here
Gosh this just made my day my right eye is a lazy eye and I hate it when people ask if I am looking or talking to them I hate how they stare at me
I'm sorry for you and I don't even talk to people face to face 😐
The only thing that keep me from hurting myself is keeping in mind that God made us this way
God Didn't Created us 😎 and I think its more to do with genetics 😏 and even though I Suffered a lot in I would never think of hurting myself 😊 .
And Just like you I have Amblyopia on my Right Eye 👍
You know how it feels...can you see out of the right eye
Can I just say you are a beautiful soul and by putting up a video like this is very brave and comforting for others who struggle with people looking at them or being socialy accepted
May God bless you and keep smiling !!!
Ps I have a lazy eye too and I have been living with it for 36 years ....❤
Wow.... So much respect. I have also strabismus on my left eye but it is also blind.... Im 21 years old. I have a twinsister who is normal... But what is 'normal'.. We are normal aswell. Love your story.
Stefan
I’ve had a lazy eye my entire life and it’s rough. Thank you for having the strength and courage to share this video.
I know exactly how you feel, been dealing with strabismus for 25 years. I never looked anyone in the eyes, I never looked into a camera, always looking at angles to look slightly less stupid, worrying how people must think you're mentally inept...never really helped me, it was horrible. 5 days ago I went in for muscular surgery in both eyes, I have to say the process isn't very enjoyable, but it hasn't even been a week, and I've never had straighter eyes, I feel way more confident, and can't wait to go see a 3d movie, I honestly recommend seeing what you can do for surgery, it helps.
i got the surgery done in april, still adapting, i still see double, and with enough strain i cansee 3d up close, but wow it's been quite a boost in life
Congrats for your Successful Surgery 😏
How are your eyes doing now?
aweee!!! I seriously cried! you are a beautiful person in and out!
i feel you. i get that eyes since i was born. its hard to straighten it especially when i take a school photo or video... right eyes go it own direction. and yes, i am used to every single bullying in this life. stay strong.
Wow, this was beautiful. I'm crying like a little baby. Thank you for you sharing. it was tremendously brave.
I have a lazy eye too but it goes outward. You're beautiful - I wish I could be as confident as you. I use to wish I were normal too and I know exactly what you mean when you say you wish people wouldn't ask you if you're looking at them. I even had my own friends turn on me and ask me " where are you looking??" Just to make fun of me...that question haunts me.
you are so strong and brave. Thank you for sharing this. Truly.
I felt so alone when I was in school and wished people weren't so insensitive. Your video makes me feel more accepting of myself just watching it. All the love in the world..
Excellent video. Quite enlightening, uplifting. Thank you.
You have a great attitude. Thanks for posting. I was born with it and still have it in my 40s and I will always have it and I learned to never, ever make fun of anyone for anything.
Hey there. I'm a nineteen year old incoming senior and I've got strabismus as well. Your video moved me cry because it really hit home with me. Everything you said described how I feel. I never really talk to my friends or family about how much it really affects me that my eye is lazy. Mostly because they cant relate. It hurts when they point it out in conversation or ask why i'm not looking at the camera. I know not everyone says it to be mean but there are some out there that do. I took my senior picture a few weeks ago and yes my eye went in. As a girl it just makes me feel so ugly that I hate every picture I take. Like you said every crowing achievement in my life is ruined. Its great to know there's other people out there who share my feelings and have moved past it, and embraced it. I only hope I can do the same.
i feel exactly like you. i didn't even like taking pics or going out. I wasted 4 years of my life by staying indoor. but luckily I had surgery 3 days ago and its better than before. So i suggest you to undergo surgery, it'll definitely help you
+Indra Jeet it costs 25k in Sankara nethralaya and it's totally safe
+Indra Jeet add on FB profile name chandan P
Can relate with you❤
hi i havehad lazy eye since I was 4 (1979) and I haveust learned to live with it. it's no the end and we are all beautiful no matter what. all the best for you
I love how you expressed your feelings in this piece. Especially about going out of your way to be kind to everyone. I know what that's like. It's great seeing videos like this on youtube. :)
I feel like my lazy eye makes me special
When you said you act like a better person because of it I feel that, I REALLY FEEL THAT. It makes you nicer than all of the people who have never faced any problems like being death with a hearing aid, or have a lazy eye like me.
Thank you for this, helps to know I'm not alone.
I have a lazy eye, and so does two of my kids, but they show up mostly in photos. I think it's worse when I'm tired. It's not extreme, but noticeable at times.
I also wish of that.. 😢😢😢 I'm 28 now,, living with this condition is not easy but i must say it helps me a lot,, and there is nothing to be ashamed of,, now I'm a registered nurse and a licensed professional teacher.. No one can stop me in reaching my goal not even this eye,, I don't care if they close the door for me.. I will make my own door to open.. I know God is with me.. Nothing is impossible if you have God in you.. 😊
@Jasmine Sharma don't be so hard on yourself,, you have so many things to do.. Don't be discouraged because of your conditions.. Try to look your situation in a positive way, like be more productive in your everyday life and you must explore yourself to the things that you can do..Don't limit yourself, just be happy and grateful..
I think we're about the same age, (Yes, I know this was 3 years ago.) and you pretty much read my life to me on this youtube video. I think we've went through alot of the same struggles. Good for you for having the personal strength to make a video like this, it takes alot of guts. I certainly couldn't do it.
I just had surgery on my eye to correct it (I'm on day three...Still healing! Wish me luck!)
How is your eye now ?
Well said Nicole. Living with strabismus is not easy. I'm 31 and my eye started to cross in at the age 2..I didn't get the patch till it was too late(so the doctors say after age 7). At the age of 16 I had surgery and once again the year after. My eye was centered and it made a big difference, but due to lack of therapy the muscle weakened and now wanders in and out at times... Surgery can only do so much, therapy must follow for more long lasting positive results. I'm now trying to wear a patch at home while focusing on the computer or with video games to strengthen the muscle.. To improve any muscles you need to exercise them.. I wish I knew this as a child. If you know anyone going through this please share your information. Living with a lazy eye can be very depressing, never lose confidence in yourself.
Jonathan, I agree. I'm 23 and I have exotropia (eye turns out), and it can be very depressing at times to have this condition, especially (in my opinion) as a female. I DON'T take pictures of myself, and I look at myself sideways in the mirror so that I can't see my turned eye. Having strabismus definitely affects an individual's self-confidence and self-esteem.
You are amazing. And you are so right. I will try to learn from you.
I have esotropia and I get asked "are you talking to me" and "what are you looking at lol".... and it I've dealed with this all my life. Definitely a major biggie for bullies to call out. But I don't let it bother me now because I've learned to embrace it and accept it for how it is. You guys shouldn't let it bother you because everyone is perfect in their own way and everyone should love who they are. Inside and out.
HI -
Great video and a great message.
I like your positive attitude.
Having strabismus for 54 yrs I can totally relate.
Thank you.
i love how positive she is and after 4 surgeries im getting there as well i wouldn't be as caring and understanding and everything she said hit the point i've had it for 16 years and im getting there one day at a time.
I needed this. Thank you so much. 🙏💕
this is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen relating to strabismus. growing up I felt so alone living with exotropia (meaning my eye points outwards), and this helped me a lot! thank you!
Thank you so much for the video. You rock Nicole! I have the exact same condition as you. I’m 44 years old, and I accept myself with my Strabismus. However, I can tell you its had a significant negative impact on my overall quality of life in terms of career development, finding a partner, and my mental health (depression, anxiety, and social phobia). I can tell you it has also made me a more understanding and empathetic individual as well.
I have exotropia. This was one of the videos that gave me so much hope even before I had surgery.
this made me cry you must be so proud of yourself for being so confidence, i aim to have the courage too
i feel absolutely the same , but sometimes is hard , people tend to be so rude and it hurts :v
i can understand ur feelings...m also having same problem....i only wish to know can it be corrected at the age 19....m feeling hell embarrassing and always suffer lack of confidence all the tym...u r really a strong girl...i respect u nd wish god to gave the same strength to me....
I went through a surgery and my eye was great.
I advise you to do the same. It's a very simple surgery, it does not hurt and recovery is rapid;
Allan Matheson how much does it cost?
I bet your strabismus came back
The surgery is purely cosmetic and doesn't actually treat the condition.
@@Whimswirl nope it restores binocular vision too!
@@grisly-bear585 can both eyes move around freely?
Thanks for sharing. I have strabismus as well (in my case it's exotropia) and I well know the feeling of looking at photographs of myself and feeling that they are somehow "ruined". Thankfully, there are many many more wonderful people than there are cruel people.
I just want to say that I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!
It has been just a little over 3 months since the surgery and I am so happy with it! The vision is good! No more double vision! I had my surgery done in Mississauga Ontario Canada! My eye was very badly turned! I wish I could show you a picture of the difference!
I am very amazed and proud of how you can make a video like this .. It is something very hard to over come and i admire you,
I love your voice it's so comforting to listen to, also your words made me feel so much better thank you so much for the video
I was also born with a lazy eye, however my sight was severely impaired, double vision, wandering dark shadow and I am partially sighted. My parents did their best, patches, glasses, but maybe an operation could have helped early on. waited till I was 18 to have what was then cosmetic surgery, but I was told my sight would not improve. I had immense teasing, and being shy my self esteem was hindered, even into my adult years, not confident. Tiredness, reading problems, doing sport. Nicole is brave, and fortunate to not have impairment. She is so right about embracing it, as people who have these problems are sensitive people and are kind. I had an apology from one of my teasers 20 years later, better late than never.
This video is so encouraging!
I have strabismus as well. The same case as yours.
I embrace my situation. I don't care what people thinks but sometimes people tend to laugh at me.
I will undergo surgery next week because it is affecting my vision.
Hope many people will see this so they can learn what it feels to be i our shoes!
I can relate to your experiences with strabismus, and I've never heard anyone describe it so well. I was born cross-eyed and have had strabismus surgery four times. I am 55 years old now; I have always had double vision and in all likelihood I always will. I can mentally block out my lazy eye, but the only real way for me to see one of everything is to close one eye. My brain sees two 2D images and is incapable of fusing them to give me binocular vision. My lazy eye does not prevent me from driving a car, but I find doing things that other people take for granted (such as playing sports) very difficult if not impossible. I have never enjoyed reading, and my greatest fear in school was being told to read a book and write a book report. I don't like seeing my lazy eye in photographs so I try to force my eyes to look straight, and this is why I rarely have my picture taken. Many people don't notice that my eyes are misaligned, and those who do, for the most part, are understanding. Regarding those whose reactions and comments are less than considerate, yes, it does hurt. I've never thought of it before, but maybe having a lazy eye is part of the reason I am inclined to treat people with kindness. As much as I wish I could experience the world through a pair of eyes that work equally and produce a 3D environment, I cannot imagine a different way of seeing things. This video has given me a new perspective (no pun intended) on life and I will watch it again. Thank you for sharing.
Such a strong video!! I wish I saw this in high school. I was sereverly bullied because I had a lazy eye and was considered to be "good looking". It took me until my twenties to accept it.
Thanks for sharing!!!
This video is beautiful! I study as an optician and this is really interesting for me. It helped me to understand how people with strabismus feel. I don't need to know but I wanted really badly to know. Great video, I love it
this was so encouraging. I have suffered with it my entire life as well and know the trouble it causes and know how mean people can be. I just got the strabismus surgery and although I'm still recovering I am so excited to see the results and finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I wish you the best!
how did it go
I'm so happy for you that you have learned to imbrace this! i had a lazy eye from about 24 to 37 years old and just this year in June i got the surgery to correct it and it was the best decision! I am very happy with the outcome i have confidence to look people in the eye when I'm talking to them and just more confidence altogether! I was always very bothered by mine! But good for you! :)
Just made my day. I'm 13 and I have exotropia. I used to be sad when people talked to me because they would avoid eye contact and always seemed uncomfortable around me. Now I'm getting surgery for it and I'm scared but I want to get better. Thanks for sharing your story :)
thank you for this video! I'm crying right now (happy tears!)
I've had strabismus since birth; two surgeries in childhood (one on each eye) failed to correct it. Like Nicole says, it becomes a part of who one is. I wouldn't change that now. It does, of course, alter some things -- depth perception is messed with, since without both eyes' image being processed by the brain into one "stereo" image, that element is missing. Thanks, Nicole... very inspiring.
+Akasha Divinity No, they *never* worked. Mine were done in the 1960s, long before they had computers capable of micro-adjusting the eyes to track together. In the old days I suspect there was a bit of the voodoo-esque about it. The doc had to basically guess. (I'm perhaps overplaying that, but not by much.)
I won't try to embrace it until I've done everything to fix it.
Your exact words, "I wouldn't be who I am."...this has made you who you are...strong,independent, and most of all UNIQUE...I know its easier said than done but f everyone else...your awesome and beautiful....
Oh my god I feel the same. My eye points outwards. Lots of people always said “are you looking at me?” Or “which eye are you looking through?” They would also say “do you see differently?” Or “is your left eye blind?” I also wear glasses (which don’t help my lazy eye) and people ask “are you blind without your glasses?”
I have a lazy eye too, and this video really made my day!! Great Documentary!!!
the correct attitude girl!!! good for you. we cant change our family but other than that, if people cant accept how you look than you dont need them in your life. people,(myself included) just take for granted our eyes r straight and will never understand the pain, strife, and mockery a lazy-eyed person goes thru on a daily basis. we all know how mean kids at school can be. my son has a lazy eye (hes 9) and it killed me when hearing other kids making fun of him in a joint effort at the playground. true love overcomes everything. in todays world you just dont see people of prominent roles on t.v. or media being cross-eyed. or its very rare. unfortunately, its just how its gonna go. social media today is looks, and "lets take a picture", post it on facebook or whatever. class pictures, proms, graduations, weddings. its along the lines of," you really dont know until you've walked in their shoes". yes its inside that counts but dont you think lazy-eyed people r tired of hearing that?surgery or not, life is and or can be very painful. i commend this girl for posting this video.
Thank you for making this video and telling you story I really appreciate it. I understand completely when people ask are you talking to me.
i have the same thing except my left eye turns out instead of turning in. Though i can control it when i want it to turn out and when i don't want it to turn out. But sometimes when im looking at a pen in close range, my left eye tends to turn out on its own. At first i hated it but as time goes by, i got used to it and sometimes it helps me with certain activities. My left eye can see better at night than my right. Am i thankful for this? I guess............
Is so hurtful to hear the same thing over and over about my eyes. Thanks for sharing.
just got my dirvers lisence and i had strabismus all my life
are you Indian?
+Raghavan Ragav contact me i have same problem +260975700643
i have solution
thank you for making this video. i have had strabismus all my life. it affected me greatly. i never volunteered for anything in school, hated pictures and hated when people made fun of me. i turned to drugs and partying at an early age to be more accepted and be cool. that was a disaster. it led to more depression and anger at people. it led me to be less social and caring. i am now 45 married and will finally go in to have an evaluation for surgery. my head hurts sometimes because i cant read for long. i isolate myself from even family because everyone wants to take pictures when they're having a good time. i just stay away. i want to fix my eye. i'm to the point that i'd rather not have an eye than have an eye that people make fun of. even those that are close to you make fun of you. pretty sad. but i guess it shows what people are all about even if they're your family.
I was born with strabismus and I had it most of my childhood,when I was 11 or 12 I got corrective surgery,my eyes are straight but I lack vision in my right and even though my eyes are straight I have really low self esteem....I can't look at people in the eyes...all that teaseing when I was young was hard and even though my family tell me my eyes are fine I can't help it,I wish I was half as strong as you....you made me cry......your a really pretty girl by the way thank you for posting this video :)
That's nice, when I can see, that I'm not the only one, who has this problem. Nobady, who doesn't have Strabismus can imagine, how hard is living with this. So thank you very much for this video!!
And please excuse my english :))
I have exotropia in my right eye, which means my eye turns out. It has really affected my self esteem: I don't take pictures of myself, look people straight in the eye, or even look at myself in the mirror straight in the eye. It is really visible to me, but I have been told by others that they don't notice it. I am struggling to learn to accept it, but it is so hard. I was born prematurely at 25 weeks by a mother who was addicted to drugs, so my premature birth affected my eyesight...
Hi my name is Richard. I never EVER comment of peoples post on TH-cam but your video really meant a lot to me. I am like you. I have a lazy eye as well. When I was younger my eye too was normal but it would wander. I've had surgeries since but my eye still points up a little still. This video really touched my heart because of our similar stories.
Its funny, I hate it when I meet someone and want to sit on one side of them so that I can see them better and so I can look more appealing to them haha. I think you can relate.
It's silly, but like you I've learned to love and accept myself. If someone else can't talk to me because my appearance bothers them, then that is too bad for them. We don't need those people in our lives if they choose not to be compassionate and understanding. Growing up in school is hard right? All the mean people.
A lot of time though I really don't even think about my "condition". Now that I'm older. In College too, people don't ever even say anything offensive usually. People grow up (for the most part haha). Your condition ends up just becomes a part of you. Which is great because well it is. haha
Lastly and most importantly, I just want to say, you are a beautiful girl and seem to have a great confident personality. There is nothing wrong with you. I hope my post brings you joy. Peace!
Wow. I'm years late to this vid but thanks for it. Just like you it doesn't impair my sight much but it effects me in harsh light and sunlight causing my squint. I was never properly diagnosed because and never new i had a problem till i was in middle school (primary). I never meet anyone with this condition so it feels like i am always alone. I still have a hard time looking at people, lol, i guess i feel they'll never be able to tell since i have small eyes. I wish this was just my only problem but unfortunately there's more. But on the bright side this video really made me feel heard and understood and that's all i want so thank you. I'm currently 21 which is ironic since you were turning 21 as at the time of the video. Much love
This speaks to me on so many levels.
I had the surgery when I was younger and it didn’t work. I’m 21 and I also embrace it
I have had a lazy eye all my life .. I have had 3 Operations ... I am now going for my 4th one, this Thursday (21/11/2013) .... I am grateful for having it all my life because its made me who I am... but is now time for all of us that have had it our whole life to have a chance to fix it.. the technology is there now. I will let you know how it goes after my operation.. Keep strong.....
How did your 4th surgery go?
Hi ..my surgery went very well . Even though it has been 2 months already im only now starting to recover properly .. on the left eye they cut three muscles and right eye they cut one. Both eyes were closed for about 4 days... I had an amazing doctor his name is Mr Du Plessis (Eye Institute of Pretoria) I am going for an checkup on the 3rd Feb.. I can give you another update then if you like.. I am more confident when meeting new people especially when attending corporate meetings.. im very happy so far .. I still do have a bit of recovery to still tho ...
Good to hear!! Did you fly over to South Africa? yes, interested in your progress on Feb 3 too. Anyway, my email is r.speziale@gmail.com, best to chat private.
Bianca Tait How did it go? I did 2 but I still have the same problem.
Thank you!. Now I don't think that I am the only one in this world who is suffering because of this condition. I don't feel lonely anymore! 🙂♥️
I feel u. I have same problem as yours. It's not a shame, it's a gift to strong our mind and heart.
Nicole, thanks for the post. I'm 64 and was "cross-eyed" as a kid. I had surgery at 7 but apparently it was too late and my brain simply couldn't integrate two images (and they are not exactly coincident anyhow). Although my eyes no longer look crossed, I can only focus with one eye at time (but still have peripheral vision in the other). Then after a while, my brain will switch eyes and my eyes will shift. The eye machines at the eye doctors office don't seem to have a clue. Where it seems to serve me well is when driving at night. If I get blinded by high beams, I just switch eyes! As a kid I was athletic but trying to catch a fly ball or a line drive aimed right at me was nearly impossible so those types of sports were out. Instead I did things like rifle team and judo! Again, thanks for the post, I've never really had the chance to talk about it.
You are so brave!!! I hate taking pictures because of the same reason, and now have no memories of college or life in general.
my eyes are crossed since grade school and I was diagnosed of havinf high myopia. i've been wearing eye glasses and contact lenses for a longtime because aside from having crossed eye , I have high myopia too. It just I can barely see anything . but this video inspire me a lot. to accept everything and embrace what I have .
same with me :*(
I'm so humbled and moved by you're strength and courage and I'm proud of you for making this video and being an inspiration for other people selflessly casting aside your pride to share your views on life dealing with this distinct part of you. I just recently met a woman who has a similar uniqueness about them and she's gorgeous such as yourself and my only fear is not being able to get as far as being able to take her out one day because she might not have the time to or if we don't reach that point, but I wish you nothing but the best in life and all you do... P.S wish me luck 😆
I know how you feel!
I've got the same problem! But its amazing how you handle with it!
Nice to see that I'm not alone!
I still remember when I didn’t have a lazyeye I used to like going out on public a lot. Look at people in the eyes I used to be more confident with myself, I started to noticed I was getting a lazy eye in my teens. Friends and family would point it out & I never really noticed until I started taking pictures or when I would look myself in the mirror. At first it wouldn’t really bother me but then it started to. I would find ways to hide it or not to make it much noticeable so sometimes people didn’t really know I had a lazy eye unless they really put attention to it, my girl friend left me once she found out I had a lazy eye I started going to vision therapy hoping it gets better
This made me cry i have a lazy eye (i can't see out of it either) im 15 turning 16 next month im in year 11 most people ask about it, some pick on me, when i talk to someone thats all i think about (omg omg they are judging me) i have had surgury on it, it was alot worse when i was younger both eyes weren't focused now my right eye just plays up never in line with my other one and i can't do anything about it and people don't get that everyone has flaws just some people's are more noticeable then others, we just want to be accepted but some people just make you feels so terrible about it and put haunting thoughts in your head its like no one's perfect and don't question things that arn't anything to do with you and also if someone was talking to me you would know its not just about your eyes it's about where your face is and your posture and its easy to tell I've met other people with lazy eyes not once did i question and we knew we were talking to eachother.... just because you have one does not make you less of a person.
tonimollyrhiannan It is the worst thing :( even worse when your friends aren't that supportive towards it :(((
I'm sorry for you 😔 even I was bullied when I was in school but luckily I used to bully them back and make them Run
it makes me cry gosh so hard to have this lazy eye.. im now 35 yrs old with low self esteem..
+Amelyn Hilvano I know it's hard. I have the same problem. But don't give up. I've learned that every person on this planet has something they dont like. Also dont be afraid to look someone in the eye. Really, try to be happy with yourself and enjoy the thing you DO like to have. But i feel you. You can do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Sielstra thank u yay u makes me cry but yeah acceptance is the key.. just only wish we can look at them straight.. anyway thanks for ur msge.. ur nice :)
+Amelyn Hilvano No problem !! We can do this (Y)
I am 18 and have had the same problem, everything u said I have felt the same way. Except my eye faces out, and I don't see out of both eyes at the same time. (I still have depth perception though). And thanks for making the video, it makes me feel a whole lot better
Great video, thanks.
Someone asked just now if I was speaking to them and that made me quite sad and so I searched lazy eye on Google and found your video. But my eyes were a lot worse when I was young, so I can't complain. And hey there are a lot of worse conditions to have. A pace
Hello, just saw your video. This video helped me and thank you for posting it. I have the same exact issue and it is hereditary. I had surgery when I was 8. The surgery worked for most of my life. I am 47 now and just recently noticed pictures with my eye drifting outward. It happens when I am nervous or tired. I just saw a Vision Therapist and he compared me to a three legged dog. According to the Vision Therapist, if a dog loses a leg, it does not spend time worrying about it. They immediately learn how to run faster and better than a four legged dog. These dogs are just as happy and in some cases better than four legged ones. That summed up my experience with my lazy eye and it reminds me of your video. My right eye has become dominant and it is my camera #1 and my left eye has become weaker, my camera #2. I suppose I will go through a surgery one of these days and make my eye look cosmetically straighter, but I am not rushing into it.
your a very strong girl, I have strabismus and its very hard to live with. I could relate to everything you had to say in this video, and im glad im not the only one that has to go though with this.Its a very hard thing to go though. im really happy i found this video. stay strong
I have strabismus in my right eye and it drives me crazy most of the time. I'm glad you're accepting of it! :)