Monday, June 17, 2013

The Blessing of Sight


Baby grasshopper by a small water bottle cap.

This morning, as I stood on my porch, I saw things.  I have new glasses.  I've been wearing reading glasses for quite some time.  Years.  And I just got bifocals.  I have a cataract in my right eye and my left has had double vision for a few years now.  I've made do with readers, refusing to succumb to the authentic need for vision assistance.  The cataract will be dealt with in a few months, but I decided I really would like to see before that.  So now I have my glasses. 
I almost cried in the office when I got them.  It wasn't a good cry.  It was not a cry of "Oh, how wonderful, I can finally see again!"  It was a cry of, "Oh, no, I still can't see and it's even worse with glasses on!"  The 200 pairs of glasses on the wall in front of me looked like 400.  The words she put in front of me to read, floated from large to small and wide spacing to narrow.  I could see nothing, and was nauseous to boot.
These can't be the right prescription.  She checked the numbers.  Everything checked out; it was my prescription.  Maybe the doctor had made a mistake?  I would have to go back to see him and get this straightened out - literally.
I put the glasses in their case and left the store with my son.  As we got to the parking lot, I told him that if these were supposed to be the right prescription, maybe I just needed to put them on and see if my eyes would adjust somehow.  It would have to be a miracle though.  These glasses were terrible and I didn't know that I could have them on long enough to even find out if they were ever going to work.  But I put them on anyway and made my way to the car.  I drove with them at the ready...ready to take them off, that is.  I didn't think driving was the best place to experiment, but I did it anyway.  Actually getting out of the office with all the glasses on the wall staring at me had helped immensely.  It was about a 25 minute drive home, and I took the glasses off a couple of times, when I really needed "familiar" depth perception - like pulling up behind someone at a stoplight.  But then I'd pop them on again.  My eyes  actually started getting used to the distance vision. 
As I pulled into our driveway, which is a wooded setting, I could see the light playing deep in the forest that I hadn't seen in years.  I could see the full roundness of the tree trunks, even the sharp edges of the leaves as they moved in the breeze.  It looked like the branches were reaching out to me now.  I laughed. The whole image was surreal.  I made the comment to my son that it was like being in a 3D movie...at which point he asked, "Mom, do you really think you should be driving?" 
I was in my own personal stereoscopic viewer world.  Yes, I should be driving.  I was going to keep my eyes open forever.
I realized because of the glasses I had been wearing, one eye had become dominant over the other with them on, and the other was dominant with them off.  They were never working together anymore really.  And now, with these glasses, my eyes were learning to work cooperatively again. 
The optometrist says it may take a few weeks to be fully comfortable with the glasses.  The close vision is still weird at times, but it's getting better.  I don't have to squint and rub my eyes all the time now.  I can see to read fairly well, and better than I could.  I'm excited to see things I didn't know I was missing.
The great part is, I can see how beautiful the world is again.
The not so great part is ... I have wrinkles.

22 comments:

  1. Donna, you end with a laugh, which means it really did turn out terrific! I've heard similar stories before. I guess we just don't notice that we're always adjusting & making do. I'm so glad everything is turning out beautifully 'clear'! And those sharp edges of the leaves-gorgeous, huh?

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    1. I still get this deep inside smile when I notice something else. I want it to always look so new! It's just so amazing!

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  2. I love your ending! I am so happy for you the gift of sight is amazing and one we take for granted, until it isn't right! I am so happy for you...the gift of seeing the edges and beauty! Wrinkles are beautiful too ;D It means you have lived, laughed and loved!

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    1. You are so right! I can even take the wrinkles if it means I get the rest!

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  3. i am very grateful for sight too--my eyes are certainly not as good as they should be---but at least i can still see

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    1. Have you tried glasses? I am completely enthralled now, though I resisted for years!

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  4. I have stigmatism so I've worn glasses most my life, my right eye is more dominant, if I cover the right the left is blurred, so I miss a lot of things too. By the way...happy blog blitz day!

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    1. I used to think my left eye was dominant, though I'm right handed. I may find that has changed...nope. Just checked. The left is still dominant. Oh, well. I've always known I was a little strange. I guess glasses won't fix that!

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  5. I'm so pleased you ended on a positive note. I, also, have wildly different prescriptions for each eye and know what a nuisance that can be when it comes time to get new glasses. Happy Blitz Day!

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    1. I'm hoping having the cataract fixed will eliminate one problem. Thanks for stopping by to make the blitz special!

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  6. We all have wrinkles! There are a few ways we can ignore them, and I guess not wearing glasses is one. Keeping a fair bit of extra weight on also seems to smooth them out quite well. :)

    Happy Blitz Day to you!!

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    1. I know what you mean. I've tried both ways, but am finally needing to have the glasses. I'm doing my best with the extra weight.

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  7. Hi Donna, first time visitor here with the blog blitz. It's Wednesday where I am! Nice piece of writing and I hope your vision is sorted out soon.

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    1. Thanks, Duncan! I'm enjoying this blitz! Really fun to read so many comments! What will I do tomorrow?

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  8. Wonderful piece of writing, I must say. So, that's where my wrinkles came from... It's a pleasure to visit your site and Happy Blog Blitz Day to you!!! :-)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again!

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  9. I've had to wear glasses for the past 25 years although I've never worn progressive lenses. It must be quite an adjustment. But the great part is, you can see. Enjoy your new stereo view of the world! Happy Blog Blitz!

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    1. It is definitely different. And I am enjoying the distance viewing VERY much!

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  10. You have laugh lines, my dear; you should celebrate them! Adjusting to new glasses is always a battle. I've been wearing VERY strong prescriptions for 20 years now and I still get headaches every time I get a new pair.

    Lovely being able to see clearly, though, isn't it?!

    Brandy's Bustlings

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    1. Oh, it is so very nice! I'm still getting used to the close up reading. It isn't as easy as the distance, but I'm not giving up on it. I never really had to wear glasses until I needed over-the-counter readers about 15 years ago. I used them past the time I really needed a prescription pair. So thus the difficulty I believe.

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  11. When I wore my new glasses, I too took the risk of driving back from the doctor's place. I felt that I was on a higher level than what I actually was, but I got used to it within a couple of days. I am not sure if all this working on the Internet will affect my eyes on the long-term (I guess it will). I hope you will get used to your new glasses sooner. Your post somehow made me realize that all the wonders of the world are right in front of me!! :)

    Destination Infinity

    PS: YOUR BLOG HAS BEEN BLITZED!!

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    1. Oh, it is a beautiful world - especially when you can see it clearly! But I guess, even if you can't see it, it remains there in all its beauty! Thanks for visiting and blitzing!

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