I Can See You!

I FINALLY, got my new glasses today. I can actually see again. Everything is in focus again--what a relief!

Okay, this is the beginning of a rant, so if you don't want to read it, skip down to the double asterisks and I'll never know.

Two years ago I went to the eye doctor to get a new prescription for glasses. My problem is pretty much the same as anyone my age--I can't see well close-up and my distance vision is poor. There is a field somewhere in between where things are pretty sharp, but it keeps shrinking. About ten years ago I started wearing bifocals and I loved them. It only took me a few days to get used to finding the "sweet spot" where whatever I was looking at was in focus. I'd never had a problem getting glasses I felt were working for me.

Little did I know.

Eye doctor #1 (you already know where this is headed) gave me a thorough exam and a prescription for new glasses. I got the prescription filled, looked through the glasses, and immediately knew that something was very wrong. Everything had a halo around it. Kind of neat as a special effect, but not so cool when you are trying to find toothpaste at the grocery store.

So I went back to doctor #1 who told me that the prescription hadn't been filled properly and to take them back. Which I did. Then I took the prescription to another optician. But when I put the glasses on, I still couldn't see very well. Anything that was lit with overhead light still had a halo. You try picking out peanut butter at the grocery store when all the jars seem to glow. So I went back to doctor #1 who gave me prescription #2. Still bad. My distance vision was better without the glasses than with them.

At this point the optician decided (after having to eat two pairs of glasses--due to their guarantee) that he would like his optometrist to have a crack at it. Prescription #3 had even worse distance vision.

After checking around with friends, I tried doctor #2, who assured me that he could get the prescription right. I was beginning to feel like a stereotypical middle-aged neurotic at this point. Why couldn't I see? What was wrong with ME?

Doctor #2 gave me a new prescription--#4. Everything at a distance was slightly blurred and my close-up field of vision didn't seem strong enough. Reading was difficult. Sewing was difficult. I didn't like it. I went back to doctor #2 and got prescription #5.

Prescription #5 was, I guess, the best of a bad lot. The halo effect had vanished (thankfully), but the distance vision was bad. Even though I am supposed to wear glasses while driving, I usually took them off because I could see so much better without them. I didn't really like the close-up either. It was hard to see the clues in my crossword puzzles, reading was hard, and I needed a magnifying glass to see small details in my sewing. I began to wear my husband's glasses to quilt with. He has way more problems with his eyes than I do and he wears a much stronger prescription.

I didn't take prescription #5 back and complain, though, because I was pretty sure that it wouldn't get any better. And I could see (more or less). And I was beginning to believe that I WAS becoming one of those middle-aged neurotic women.

So after two years, I finally sucked it up and made another appointment (doctor #3) to have a check-up and get a new prescription.

What a difference! I can actually see again. Distance, close-up, it's all good. It's all in focus.

Doctor #3, I love you!

**The rant ends here. Thanks for listening.

I wanted to give a shout-out to Jessica at Littleshika for her recipe for green beans, called fasolakia. Just blog on over and check out her archive for the recipe. We tried it the other night with lamb chops and it was great. Her quilts are pretty nice, too.