::thud::

[hummingwolf]

Yesterday, I got presents! Okay, I actually got artificial tear samples from an optometrist, but the samples almost look like toy surprises. Anyway, the news from yesterday's appointment is that nothing's new: my eyes require the same glasses prescription they've needed for the last decade or so, there's not enough tear production (strange considering I'm a lifelong crier), and (aside from myopia + astigmatism) there's nothing obviously structurally wrong with my eyes. I've still got visual distortions to deal with, but this doctor went with the usual guess that I've got a migraine aura going pretty much all of the time. So hooray for no new news!

Even though my prescription hasn't changed, my health plan pays for new glasses (though frame selection is somewhat limited) so I'm going for it. The glasses guy shook his head in amazement that I've had the same pair for more than a decade--"They look old. You really should have gotten new ones a long time ago!" Did get into a bit of a disagreement with him over what kind of frame would be best. The problem was that he was concerned with how I will look in new frames, while I was more interested in how I will see. I simply don't understand how minuscule frames became fashionable. Had some trouble getting the message across that I need to be able to see in whichever direction my eyes are pointing, and I can't do that if there's no lens there. Maybe I wouldn't be quite so adamant on this point if it weren't for the fact that my neck muscles don't always let me turn my head very far. Maybe I rely on rapid eye movement more than most people.

That was yesterday. Today was another one of those days where I was too sick to make it to the doctor. This time was probably my own fault though. It's not that I was too tired from walking about four miles yesterday or that I couldn't get enough sleep in all the heat last night. No, what wrecked me for the day was that I took out the stinky garbage bag nobody else would take out and then mopped up the foul liquid that had spilled all over the floor. Thanks to the nausea, getting ready took about two extra hours that I didn't have to spare.

On the plus side, since I was sick to the stomach anyway, I figured I had nothing to lose by cleaning some other repulsive things around the house today. Spent much time scrubbing and am quite worn out, but at least I accomplished something! I even talked another housemate into cleaning something I was too scared to touch, so it's all good. Well, all except for missing an appointment I really needed to get to.

Comments

[cowboybud.livejournal.com]

Optometrists are just like any other retail salepeople, they're just trying to sell you the most expensive product.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Except they knew they couldn't do that in my case--my Medicaid provider won't pay for the expensive frames, and I sure wasn't going to pay for them myself. Mostly he just seemed appalled by how out-of-date my eyewear is.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i got much smaller frames than i had in decades. it took a while not to be aware of all the blur outside the little gold circle. :/

my eyes also don't tear enough, though i cry easily. i get this dry-eye itchy feeling like there are loose eyelashes in my eyes ALL the damn time. the doc said, no it's not sjogren's, when i asked. just dry eye. dang.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm a pedestrian in the habit of crossing busy highways--I will not tolerate much blur outside the little circles! I don't even want to be aware of the circles. I simply want to see!

How do they know if it's Sjogren's or not, do you know? Was it because your eyes were the only dry thing, or did they have some other way to determine it? I know Sjogren's seems to be associated with autoimmune diseases, but I don't know much about it otherwise.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

yes, that was exactly it -- he said that dry eye alone was not an indicator of sjogren's. i'd read an article someplace that mentioned dry eye, but it probably is part of a constellation of annoying drynesses.

[stronae.livejournal.com]

Maybe I rely on rapid eye movement more than most people.

Yeah, I was worried about similar lens-size issues, and then I got my small frames, and the only way it affects my lifestyle is that I have to turn my head more when driving, to see vehicles on either side. Beyond that, that's pretty much it.

But, it *completely* makes sense if you're not interested in moving your neck that much.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, maybe the optician would've understood a bit better if I'd gone into more detail about the problems of stiff muscles. Or maybe not. Here's hoping that the glasses I picked actually work out for me!