Day 1043 Good Eyes

Big news of the day: I had an appointment with a new eye doctor. Most people don’t know I’ve worn glasses since I was five years old, when they discovered I had a stigmatism in one eye and was struggling to see. Back then, doctors were worried my stronger eye would do all the work and my weaker one would become lazy. So they patched my good eye and had me wear glasses to force the bad eye to work.

Not exactly a great look for a little kid—home haircut, hand-me-down clothes from my brothers, glasses that were inevitably broken and taped up, and an eye patch! It’s a good thing I was a confident kid, although with all that going on, I’m not quite sure how.

As an adult, I eventually gave up on glasses altogether and managed just fine with my “walking-around” vision…until aging hit. Like most people, I started needing reading glasses, but now I struggle with both near and far distances. I tried progressive lenses, but they made me dizzy. Over time, I ended up with three different prescriptions—for reading, computer use, and distance—but juggling three pairs of glasses isn’t convenient (or cheap).

After a lifetime of vision struggles, I was amazed when my new eye doctor—who also happens to be a friend—suggested I get LASIK surgery for my bad eye. I’ve asked about it in the past, but no doctor ever thought it would work for me. This time, my doctor said that if they can correct the stigmatism in my bad eye, I’ll only need reading glasses—just like the rest of the world of aging adults.

Imagine me walking into Job Lot and picking up a pair of readers for $3.99? Sign me up! It took almost no convincing for me to say yes to the surgery. I’m thrilled that someone finally thinks this could work for me.

Now, I wait for a call from the eye surgeon and prepare to retire all my prescription frames. Fingers crossed the surgery will be half price since I’m only fixing one eye—do they give discounts for that?

Either way, I’m excited for the possibility of simplifying my life and seeing clearly for the first time in my lifetime. Here’s to new vision, new beginnings, and finally saying goodbye to taped-up glasses and eye patches. Stay tuned!