My last eye exam was in the summer of 2009. That was the year the astigmatism in my left eye began making contacts extremely uncomfortable to wear. After testing several brands, I finally gave up and began wearing glasses full time. Because I had no vision complaints last year, I skipped my annual exam. But I know I should see an eye doctor at least once a year, so I decided today that I wouldn't put if off any longer. Plus, I've been wanting bifocal sunglasses and need a prescription that's less than a year old.
So today I went to LensCrafters at Chesterfield Mall. Jim and I have gotten several pairs of glasses there, often getting an AAA discount. Before today, however, I had never seen their optometrist. But it was time to find an eye doctor closer to home. My old doctor is only in St. Charles now. He closed his West County office many years ago.
I was more than satisfied with my exam and feel comfortable with Dr. Miles. The good news is my distance vision has not changed and today's tests found my eyes to be healthy. My reading vision is weaker, but that's to be expected at my age. Now the bad news.
I learned today that my extreme nearsightedness makes me susceptible to retina detachment. There are some preventative treatments, but first I need my eyes dilated to see if there are any weak areas. If there are, a laser surgeon will probably be able to fix them. Dr. Miles did say the odds are that I'm fine and my retina will never detach, but -- I'm freaking out! For sure, I'll be scheduling my dilation as soon as Jim can be my driver, and will not miss another yearly exam unless I'm bedridden!
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