Today I visited the Ophthalmologist

Today I visited the Ophthalmologist. I've worn glasses (I'm quite nearsighted) since I was 13 or 14 and usually I just see an Optometrist. He/She can easily determine what my current glasses need to be. I'm in & out quickly after determining how good/bad I see by using the chart and testing me for various other little things. NOTE: all images are from Internet!

On Saturday my daughters & I went to Arcata to the Farmers' Market, The Bead Store & Los Bagels. Great Day, but my right eye started to bother me. It didn't hurt, but there seemed to be a shadow in my peripheral vision in my right eye. There were major floaters that interfered with my vision and occasionally a flash of light. On Sunday it was so annoying I felt I couldn't drive safely.

Monday it bothered me a bit and Tuesday I looked up the symptoms on the Internet. Ut oh, it said I could have a detached retina or a vitreous detachment. In either case, I needed to see an Ophthalmologist ASAP. So this morning I called. They said to come in at 2 pm. Mr. Scottie Dog said he'd pick me up at work and bring me. I'm glad he did because after dilating my eyes I had a hard time seeing for several hours.

The doc had me read the chart, then he looked into my eye with this get-up. Then he shined a bright light in each eye and had me look up, down, right, left and all around. Again. And again. And again! "Keep both eyes open!" He must have told me 4 or 5 times. Finally I had to keep one eye open with my fingers while he looked in the other.

Now, I'm rather squeamish when it comes to eyes. Poor Mr. Scottie Dog can't come to me when he wants to find a contact "lost" in his eye. I don't like to look at them closely (although I highly admire them from afar!). I don't want to see pictures of them, or models of them or even hear much about them. So when dear Dr. Gibb wanted to tell me all about my "Vitreous Detachment" and show me the diagram, I had to tell him to show Mr. Scottie Dog and tell HIM about my problem.

Turns out between the ages of 50 and 70 (I'm 58 and proud of it!) the jelly stuff in your eye turns to liquid and pulls a bit on your retina. When things go bad, it can pull so hard your retina can actually detach...then surgery is needed. But with most people (like me!) when this occurs for a few weeks you see the flashes occasionally and the floaters. So the good news....no retina detachment. The bad news...."this happens to people of your age...." You know, I'm hearing that more and more often....