I can SEE!

(Carly in for Julie today!)

OK this is a "Carly" story and by that I mean long, involved and it happened to anyone else would have wrapped up much faster. Just be warned! This may be my longest blog ever …

When I was sixteen, I got my permit and my driver's license. Where I live (then and now) kids are so excited to get their license, all they want to do is drive, especially once they are allowed to drive at night after dark. Whenever we'd make plans, I'd let my friends do the night driving. One day, my parents asked me why – since I had access to a car. I remember telling them, I don't want to tell you because then you won't let me drive at all, but … because I can't see very well, especially at night. OK maybe most kids would have thought to mention this but to me, I thought it was just the way it was. My eyes. Mom made an eye doctor appointment and low and behold, I needed distance glasses! (You can stop laughing at me now. I'm just getting started! When we went to pick up my eye glasses (and I remember this like it was yesterday) I slipped them on, looked out in the distance and said, "Oh my God there are spaces between the leaves on the trees!" I could see. Back then I didn't have to wear the glasses except to drive. Over the years, this has changed to the point where I put my glasses on when I get out of bed and don't take them off until I go to sleep. I did wear contacts for awhile but allergy and dry eye and in the end, glasses are just more comfortable. Also I've never been totally comfortable driving at night but I do it when I have to. Still, I would drive my husband crazy because he likes alcohol on the weekend if we are out for dinner, I abstain, and yet I won't be the designated driver. Just can't do it.

Fast forward to four months ago. As I'm driving, I realize as I look into the distance, the two lanes (mine and the other) are converging into one. I CAN'T SEE to drive. Day or night. But this is the only time I have a vision issue. So I make an eye doctor appointment, explain things and he checks me and increases my prescription. As this is a normal thing on occasion, I make up all sets of eye glasses, including buying a new pair of frames (regular and sunglasses) with my prescription at the store within the office. A week or so later, I pick up the first pair that is ready, try them on, they seem fine and off I go. Except within two days I know – these are no good. They are too strong and I'm having more problems than I did before. Back to the shop who says, no worries, make an appointment with the doctor. We'll deal with the glasses (in other words they'll eat the cost). Very nice! I make an appointment, can't get one for two weeks, go back and I suggest (after talking to mom), a prism. Oh, he says, and looks at my file and realizes five years ago he gave me a very mild prescription for one for the same problem, rechecks my eyes and writes up a new prescription. I hand it in, they make up one pair of glasses, a week later I go back, put them on, I can't see out of them at all. Completely blurry. No worries, the nice guy at the shop says, I'll talk to your doctor. My doctor suggests I see an optician (he's an optometrist) in his practice. I make an appointment – two weeks away. In between, my doctor calls me and says come back in. I do, he checks, fiddles with prescription, I cancel other doctor, hand in the prescription, they make up the glasses, I put them on, and in my gut I know they aren't perfect but keep in mind a) I'm feeling like a PITA; 2) I'm driving WITH ONE EYE CLOSED b/c that is the only way I can see two lanes; and c) I think maybe it's all in my head and I'll get used to them. And after a week or so, I decide it's as good as its going to get, make up the rest of my glasses with this prescription. You know, the extra pair of eye glasses in case mine break b/c my prescription takes so long to make, and sunglasses.

Oh!!!! I forgot to mention that from the beginning of this ordeal four months ago, I can't see up close and now need reading glasses. Because I am migraine and eye sensitive, we decide no, we won't make bifocals (which seemed like a good thing once I started having all the above issues) so I've ALSO purchased READING GLASSES with my prescription because I also have an astigmatism which means I can't just buy the 1.25 over the counter readers like the rest of the world. So in between, I'm putting on readers, taking off distance and visa versa. All the while I'M FEELING BLIND!

Fast forward to one month ago. I've had it. I just can't see and I am back to driving with one eye again. This time I decide I'm not going back to my eye doctor, I'm going to the optometrist in the practice that he recommended. I make an appointment. I go in. I'm practically weeping. HELP ME! She is amazing, checks, rechecks, rechecks, rechecks – and says – wow. You are really cross eyed (not to the naked eye but enough to explain my situation – I'm not CRAZY! (yeah yeah I hear you, that's debatable). Anyway, she says, your eyes are so strained, I'm getting different readings each time. Go home for a few weeks, wear your readers ONLY except when driving, rest your eyes that way, come back I'll recheck you and write you a new prescription. Now mind you I'm still praying one day I can see, but I agree. Which means, I'M STILL DRIVING WITH ONE EYE CLOSED – and I do tell the doctors this.

I go back in two weeks, all excited to finally be able to see (knowing I'll still have to wait to have glasses made up – another expense) – and they don't have me in their appointment book. The doctor is running behind and I can wait (it'll be awhile for her to squeeze me in) or I can come back at 3 PM. I opt for 3 PM. I go back, and she works with me for over an hour. In the end, she suggests that I do BIFOCALS – so I will have distance, reading, PRISM and astigmatism correction all in one eyeglass BUT if it works, I will always be able to see. I'm skeptical but at this point, what do I have to lose? So I hand in the prescription, and of course the new frames I bought are too narrow to hold my whole prescription – but don't worry, they'll take back the frames I bought 4 months ago and take money off the new ones. I'm already in this for a small fortune so I'll take what I can get. I leave, telling them please rush these glasses if they can, and I'm praying when I put them on in two weeks I can see or else I'll be mortified AND up the creek. I leave, STILL DRIVING WITH ONE EYE CLOSED except I realize if I wear my reading glasses to drive, I can sorta see, not have to shut one eye, and just not read road signs. OK I can live with this. The doctor said do what I have to in order to get by.

Finally the day arrives, the glasses are ready! I go in and put them on, keeping my eyes closed the whole time, praying and afraid to open them and be completely dizzy and have to start all over again. Finally, finally I peek. Guess what? I CAN SEE!!!!! I'm not dizzy. I'm not like the rest of the world that takes a month to get used to the no line bifocals, it's just all one world WITH SPACES BETWEEN THE LEAVES ON THE TREES!. I'm in heaven. I give it some time, make sure and call to order my prescription for my other glasses. Except I realize, the nose pads on the new frames are KILLING me, they hurt and they are making huge indentations in my skin. Yes, you guessed it, back in I go. He loosens them. Within a few hours I know they're worse. I call. He says I can replace with silicone ones. (Why didn't he tell me this to begin with?) I go back same day and he replaces the pads. I realize within 24 hours, no better. I call and he says, no worries, come PICK OUT A NEW FRAME. No I am NOT NOT kidding. Back I go. I pick a new frame knowing I have to make do with the old ones until the new prescription that fits the frames comes in … except somehow something goes right and he is able to pop the lenses from the hurting frames into the new frames – and I can walk out that day with new glasses that don't hurt!

So now I can see. The world has opened up for me. I realize how bad my vision was before because I can see distance while driving, I can see the dashboard, I can watch TV and read at the same time. I am LOVING life.

Except for what it took to get here. IF you stayed with me through the end of this blog … THANK YOU! You must be a glutton for punishment like I seem to be! Just kidding.

So … do you wear glasses? Distance or Readers? (Doesn't it SUCK getting old? Even my manuscript font looks small!) And if you wear both, do you wear bifocals? Progressives (no line) or the ones with the line? Or do you constantly swap glasses? Trust me when I say whatever you do, if it works for you, I can relate because nothing is more personal than fitting a pair of eye glasses. I've learned that the hard way!