Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Eye of the Tiger

So, Mamoune and I went to the eye doctor on Thursday. I reluctantly scheduled the appointment after getting hit in the eye with a basketball cone (don't ask) two months ago and continuing to have pain from that injury.

It has been YEARS since I had an eye exam. Many years. I am a wimp. Plus I have good vision and in my book, if it ain't broke don't fix it. But there was evidence that something might be broken. I went. Lectures are not necessary.

It was everything I hate about going to the doctor. The people who put horrible, nasty, burning, blinding drops in my eyes and then poked weird contraptions into them while telling me to fight the urge to blink (okay, but tell me what to do with this overwhelming urge to punch you in the head!!!) were nice enough. They even seemed cheerful as they led me back to the torture chamber, er, I mean examination room. Maybe too cheerful. hmmmmm.

The good news is my eye is okay. I most likely scratched the cornea and it's just very sensitive, especially in the morning when my eyes are dry. A few drops when needed and I'm good to go. Also, I have 20-20 vision and barring another cone to the eye, shouldn't need to endure the horror for another four years.


The bad news was I looked like this when we left the office. Seriously, all pupil -no iris. When they put the dilating drops in they told me that objects within two feet may become a little fuzzy. Two feet? Right. Try two miles. I had to ask Mamoune whether I was actually signing my name on the credit card slip or not. I could've been signing the desk for all I knew.


I asked the nurse if the entire room being a blur or the slight headache that was developing were normal. She informed me that "sometimes people with light colored eyes can be especially sensitive." Good to know...after the fact. I expressed my concern over driving home and she responded with a less than sympathetic "yah." Excuse me, but I can't tell how many knobs are on that door across the room and I'm about to take my and my daughter's life into my own hands while driving home some twenty minutes away. Do you have any thoughts about that? "yah."

Mamoune's eyes were dilated as well so, it was literally the blind leading the blind. In retrospect, I should've called Tim. Driving was dumb. But we prayed for light traffic and God was incredibly faithful. We got all the way down Capital Blvd and I only hit the brakes twice (traffic lights included). Those who live in this area know that is a miracle! And we finally made it home donning our super cool cardboard sunglasses. I wore them proudly. I had no choice -every ray of sunshine brought me to tears. Hours later, like eight hours later, my iris' reappeared and my pupils shrank to their natural size.

Now I know why vampires don't have day jobs.






2 comments:

Bobbey said...

Glad to hear your eyes are ship shape. There is a drop that reverses that dilation. It stings like the dickens, but makes driving home much safer. Wonder why they didn't give you that option?? Thanks for reminding me that I am overdue for an exam and unlike you my less than 20/20 (nearly legally blind is more like it) eyes need a check up much more frequently than every 4 years. Oh well, can't call on a Saturday, can I? shrug.

Anonymous said...

"yah"