Dilated Eyes Can't See So Well...

So about six or seven weeks ago, I went to see an eye doctor to get a new prescription for my glasses - tri-focals, or what they like to call "progressives" thank-you-very-much. During that exam, the doctor determined that there exists some sort of asymmetry between my optic nerves. The left didn't match the right or the other way around. Given that my insurance coverage for medical (as opposed to Vision Care - which optometry falls into, but ophthalmology does not), he was unable to perform the sorts of tests he thought I needed - namely, to determine if I have Glaucoma, so I was referred to another Eye Doc who works with the medical insurance I do carry. 

Well, today was the day. Good news, I don't have glaucoma and the Eye Doc thinks it unlikely that I will develop it, although he would like the opportunity to torture me again in a year, if that's all right with me. The bad news. I couldn't see. All day. No reading, no writing. Blurry, blurry, blurry. No focus, no nothing. It is now a little after midnight and I left the doctor's office at approximately 11:15 am. Now, I can finally see, although, truth be told, it's still a little fuzzy. 

Now as I write this I am thinking about a friend of mine who lost her sight completely for some time. She wrote a wonderful memoir about her experiences. It's called, "The Seeing Glass." Look it up, get it, read it, you'll enjoy it. So, I know that one day without clear vision and tight focus is not the worst thing in the world to happen. But WOW does it smack you upside the head in the sense of: "This is something I've been taking for granted!" I've taken for granted that I can pick up a book and read it when I want, or do a crossword puzzle when I want, or compose and reply to emails when I want, or write the revisions that I so desperately need to write on 2 or 3 stories currently in progress when I want. 

Not so fast Buster. Not if you've just had your eyes dilated. So, I head off to bed soon, grateful that my lids will be covering my weary, blurry focusing eyes, and so very grateful that they will (most likely) focus well again in the morning. 

Namaste.