There Are None So Blind

A while back I dreamed that I went to a different eye doctor and he was able to completely correct my vision.

Last year, at my annual eye exam, my optometrist was doing the "which is better? One or Two?" thing but when he was doing my left eye, nothing looked good.  He shrugged, said something to the effect that it is what it is.  Macular degeneration was starting to take its toll.  Maybe my vision would fluctuate from day to day and I was having a bad day.  I was still having fairly frequent visits to the retinal specialist to monitor bleeding in my right eye.  The specter of disability can freak you the fuck out.

I started to read up a little more on myopic macular degeneration and how to test my eyes myself.  I started to eat a lot more spinach.  I started taking the Areds 2 formula vitamins.  I spent a lot of time closing one eye and seeing what the other eye could do.  I had triple vision in my left eye and mild double vision in my right eye.  Some days were better than others, focusing on the computer screen would be easy and I didn't have to squint to read the numbers on the screen.  I figured the multiple images were from the cataracts that are starting to form.  Apparently, being very myopic can make everything go wrong with your eyes, macular degeneration, retinal tears, cataracts and glaucoma.  Nobody's mentioned glaucoma yet for me.

I went back to the retinal specialist last week.  During the initial exam, the guy was able to make my left eye see things.  I was startled- there's only one thing there, instead of three!  He wasn't impressed and emphasized not squinting and rapidly deciding which was better.  He said both eyes could be corrected to 20/30.  So in a way, it was like the dream came true.

Then he dilated me, I got scanned and then I saw the retinal specialist.  He quickly looked around inside my eyeballs and was pleased to announce no bleeding and that I could "graduate".  I wouldn't have to come back unless there were problems.

So maybe the vitamins and the spinach have helped.  I'll keep up with them.  I am not so worried about being able to renew my drivers license next summer and do not feel as though I will be forced to retire early because of this.  I feel fortunate.