Wednesday, January 9, 2019

I want my glasses back



   
 I know some of you will think I'm nuts but I'm kind of used to that. I had cataracts removed from both eyes in September and November of 2018. The results were truly amazing. The first morning I looked over at a sweater that had a black and white pattern on it with the eye that had the new lens. The sweater looked really white. I checked with the other eye. The sweater looked really yellow. Also the edges of things are now much sharper. Other than irritated eyeballs and drops every half hour for a week, the eyes are great.
     I, however, am not so good at navigating the world without lenses in front of my face. I have worn glasses for 60 years and not having them makes me quite uncomfortable. When I had the first eye done I could still wear my old prescription. When I had the second eye done my old prescription just made me seasick but I still need glasses to read. Off to the drug store for a package of 3. That solved the reading problem but what about when I'm in choir and I want to be able to read the music and see the conductor? I routed through the old glasses that I haven't yet given away, mostly because I like the frames, and I found a pair of bifocals that work very well for both conductor and music. I usually put them on at the beginning of rehearsal and then forget to take them off and drive home with them on. No problem really, but my long distance vision is better without them.
     I don't have to wear glasses around the house unless I want to do close work. I have a pair in my study, a pair in my purse and a pair in the 'reading room.' Still I find myself looking for my glasses or saying to Richard, “Wait a minute I need to go and get my glasses in order to read that.” This morning I misplaced my glasses for a couple of hours. Luckily I have more than one pair. Eventually Richard found them on his desk where I had taken them off in order to use the kind of eye-drops he keeps handy. 
     I know there are hundreds of people who are fine with finding and putting on glasses. I, on the other hand, am not. I'm used to putting glasses on my face at the beginning of the day when I wake up and taking them off at the end of the day when I go to bed. I am not skilled at navigating in the outside world without my windshields. When I've been out in the snow I've repeatedly gotten snow in my eyes and it's much too breezy out there even if there isn't any wind. Luckily I have a number of pairs of sunglasses that fit over my prescription ones and stay on my face without other glasses underneath. Sunglasses help to keep my delicate little eyeballs protected from the elements. Also, it's embarrassing and painful when I go to push up my glasses and stick my finger in my eye. I've done that more than once.
     As soon as my eyes had time to adjust, I went to my optometrist. He seemed surprised when I told him I wanted glasses, bifocals, progressives, I didn't care as long as they were the all-day, everyday kind. I took in an old pair of frames and my new glasses are on order.
     To be fair, I have noticed some advantages of not having glasses. If I'm doing something messy I don't have to clean my eyeballs several times a day. When I bend over a hot oven or dishwasher my eyes don't fog up and they don't fog up when I come in from the cold. I no longer need glasses to drive although I have yet to go and get the that condition taken off my license. All of these things are handy but, for me, don't outweigh the comfort I have with wearing glasses. I'm looking forward to having my glasses back. They are old an old and faithful friend and I'm loyal to them.

3 comments:

Les Travels said...

I hate glasses and never needed them until cataracts and then only at the end of the day. Glasses are cold and make sinuses hurt. However post cataracts I am back to none and happy. I do need sun glasses outside all time really and I use night driving glasses that cut out the halogen glare and also work wonders when using a computer at night. I love them for their limited use. I got a pair of reading glasses that are thin and I watch the conductor over them and the music with. Just what you are used to I guess. Love your blog. Don’t take me off the list even though we clearly “see” things differently.

WoodDancer said...

No worries Lesley; you're staying on the list especially because the pun made me laugh! I just thought I'd remind people that they won't hurt my feelings if they don't want the blog. I'd rather take their names off than have the emails get sent to spam. Although it's all electronic and doesn't really affect me, it just seems neater somehow to be reaching the people who are interested and to prune my list of those who aren't.

Colleen Hetherington said...

I have shared your experience exactly Marian. Going to an Art gallery is maddening. I need glasses to read the program and the tags and must remove them to see the Art. I have different strengths for computer distance than book distance and do not require any for distance distance! I have ordered progressives which were not helpful but have another order on the way! Hopefully, I will get it right soon.