6/1/98

Dear Dr. Cooper,

I am writing this letter to you, because it has been suggested to me that some of

the experiences that I have had with Vision Therapy might be helpful to some of your

other patients.

To start at the beginning, I came to see you two years ago with a referral from Dr.

Arthur Wollintz who is a neuro-opthamologist and has been my family doctor since my

childhood. I went to see him, because for the past ten years I have been having a serious

problem with my eyes. The problem was that I could not read or watch either television

or movies. When I did I would get eye strain, my left eye would start fluttering, and I

would get stabbing pains, followed by headaches and stiffness in my neck. After giving

me a thorough examination, Dr. Wollintz sent me to you. You confirmed his diagnosis

that I had a condition called Exophona. This condition results in weakness of the eye

muscles, causing a tendency for each eye to turn outward (diverge). I have trouble pulling

my eyes in to focus (converge). You explained to me that it was a correctable condition

which could be helped by Vision Training (VT).I had never heard of VT, but I was

hopeful and started coming for weekly sessions.

Within weeks, I was reading whole books. I tried to keep all my appointments and

the vision trainer gave me home exercises that were easy to do. I was very motivated and

saw immediate progress. It was a miracle to be able to read again. Every day I was doing

my exercises and reading book after book. I felt as if I had gotten my life back. For the

longest time I had wanted to go back to school, and now at last it seemed possible. Before

VT, I had even considered learning to read Braille, because I was so desperate to read. I

worked very hard and within months I was able to cure my condition.

Unfortunately, I started experiencing symptoms again after several months. I was

studying and reading too much in one sitting, not doing eye exercises or using good

judgment. My eyes became strained and tired, and I felt depressed, anxious and

frightened. Finally, I realized I needed to come back and see you, and so I made an

appointment. You were calming and reassuring. You said “Anything can be fixed.” I

would need to return for VT and possibly get reading glasses. I would need to learn to

take care of my eyes by reading, watching television and movies, and using my office

computer in moderation. The burden of fear and anxiety that came off my shoulders that

day was wonderful.