Outgrowing
your Pediatrician's
The father-daughter team has treated VH at their Bloomfield Hills practice
for 17 years.
anxiety, dizziness?" If a patient is not
from the area, she speaks to them at
great length before they make the trip
so she can be more certain she can
help them.
The Process
"Debby spends as much time as it
takes with each person," said Forta.
"She is so patient and gives everyone
100 percent of her attention. It's evi-
dent that she cares about each patient
and wants to help them."
The initial visit takes two to three
hours, as Debby spends an hour just
talking to the patient so she can under-
stand their history. She then has them
try on "tester" prisms before fitting
them for an official pair. The patient
wears the tester pair in the office for a
period of time "to make sure it works
well for them before they leave," Debby
explained.
Often it only takes a patient 20 min-
utes to feel relief from their symptoms
after trying on a prism. "It's so grati-
fying to see a person lighten up and
immediately start feeling better," Paul
said.
Because of a process called progres-
sive relaxation, patients need to come
in two weeks after their initial appoint-
ment because the eye muscles will
have adjusted further. "We don't start
with a lot of prism," Paul explained.
"We start with a little bit to make sure
Prism Power on page 52
Internal Medicine & Primary Care Specialists
has been designated as a Patient•Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
physician practice by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Internal Medicine &
Primary Care Specialists
Kristin Krueger PA•('
Lawrence Dell MD
Dean Burkland PA-C
James Gordon MD
Lisa Norris NP
Cheryl Ruble MD
Kas Buitkus MD (Allergist)
2300 Haggerty Road Suite 1010 • West Bloomfield, 1, 11 48323
(nn Haggerty Road just North of Meijer)
August 30 • 2012
:sM;i J 1
tion deficit disorder because they have
trouble reading. "If a kid is in second
grade and he's told to read something
in class," Mark said, "he's not going to
sit still for very long if he literally can't
do what he's told."
Reading presents a challenge
because the eyes view images on two
different levels, making skipping lines
and losing one's place common.
People may be born with VH, as it
does run in families, but it also can
develop as a result of asymmetry in the
face or trauma to the head, in addition
to other factors.
"Some of my patients have been told
they're crazy because they look fine,
but they have all these symptoms,"
Debby said. "People tell them they're
hypochondriacs because they've been
sent to different doctors with no relief:'
The Internet has played a large role
in helping Debby, Paul and Dubin
find people with VH. lot of people
Google their symptoms and up pops
our Website with a list of symptoms
and a possible explanation," she said.
On the Website, people who think they
may have VH can fill out a question-
naire. The results are sent to Debby's
email, and she responds to each sub-
mission with a phone call.
Some of her patients are internation-
al and though it may seem like a long
flight from Europe to Detroit, Debby
said, "Wouldn't it be worth it to you to
make the trip if it meant you could be
rid of your headaches, double vision,
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