March 21st, 2018

Looks like I won't be needing these guys anymore.  Good bye old friends. You served me well.  And if that sounds a little dramatic, I won't apologize because the difference really is that huge.   
​I had my post surgical follow up for the right eye yesterday.  I went from barely being able to make out the "E" at the top of the eye chart to 20/30 vision in the right eye and it will only improve over the next few months! Wow!  That is astounding.  I got such a kick out of reading signs as we drive home from the appointment. Before this, even with my glasses on I couldn't make out street signs until we were nearly past them.  I couldn't watch TV without them, or read a bedside clock. I even had trouble recognizing someone from across the room.  

​I had worn glasses since I was three years old soooo 61 years. Wow!  That is a long time.  I felt as if, really, my glasses were just part of my face.  Never really put a ton of thought into it one way or the other.  Putting them on was the first thing I did every day and taking them off, the last thing.  So It's strange not wearing them. But I can honestly say that I don't miss them. Which is a surprise. I honestly thought it would be a bigger adjustment.

​The weirdness of having close to perfect distance vision in one eye and not the other though, that is taking a little longer to get used to.  And is in fact, making me a little unsteady on my feet. There will be no bike riding until this is evened out for sure. And driving is completely off the table for awhile. (not that I did much driving anyway)

​However, while I see amazingly at a distance (again with the right eye) I can't do anything close up. That includes my cellphone, the computer, the newspaper, a recipe or a book!  ARGH! When I mentioned that to the doc at the follow up, he put a long wear, close vision contact in my left eye to help me out.  And he said, if I want to, I can have the left eye corrected to close vision at Monday's left eye cataract surgery. Hmmmm.  

​So now with this contact, it's interesting.  I can see well enough to blog, obviously,  I can see well enough to function - sort of -  on my cell phone, but  I cannot read a book, the newspaper is a struggle and a prescription bottle is impossible without a magnifying glass.  So hmmmmm. Not what I would call "normal" whatever normal is. But on the other hand, if they could guarantee me that they could give me much better close vision in that left eye, I probably would do it.   Having totally different focal points isn't bothering me,  no headaches, not a lot of adjusting, so that part is good. Still I need to be able to see close up as well as far away, one way or another.  I have to decide by Friday. Decisions decisions decisions.

​I think I should try on a pair of readers with my left eye closed and see how improved my close vision is in the right eye with them.  Sound like a good idea?  The more information I have the better off I am.  Cannot make an informed decision without all of the necessary information. 

​So today I will put on my sunglasses and take a little walk to the drugstore or the dollar store, whichever comes first,  Try out some readers, see if I can figure this out.  But if anyone has some suggestions, please do share!  Again, the more information I have, the easier this decision will be.

​Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this!