Seeing Clearly

Last year when I went in for my eye exam, I tried very hard to stick with contact lenses. Even though I'd been developing an astigmatism for the last few years, I didn't want to go back to wearing glasses full time. Not when I'd experienced the ability to wear the contacts for weeks at a time. It was almost like not having myopia at all...

But even with the toric lenses that accommodate for the astigmatism, I found myself unable to see well at a distance. I began to have headaches and was squinting more and more as the fall rolled around. So I decided to try a contact lens vacation, with a focus on not squinting.  After a few weeks of just glasses, I had come to the conclusion that the contact lenses didn't work well enough.

I still wore them for some exercise (mostly CrossFit and swimming), but for the most part I was glasses only. And I decided that I would get new glasses at my next eye appointment.

A week and a half ago, I went in to the eye doctor and got a surprise. My right eye had changed enough that the doctor exclaimed in what was almost an unprofessional manner. I couldn't even see blurry letters with my right eye - the rectangle that contained letters when I looked with my left was a blur of white with the left eye covered.

I thought that my prescription might have changed a little, based on the way that street signs wouldn't come into focus the way that I wanted, but I hadn't expected something so big. My left eye was compensating for my right eye in a major way. So when I picked up my new glasses yesterday, I discovered that I was not at all used to having both eyes properly corrected.

I'm still getting used to them, but it's nice to have new frames:

And, since I went to one of those places that offers two pairs (and because I wanted to have another pair to wear backpacking that I could be a little rough with), I got a second pair. 

Now, I picked this pair out because they looked like they could take some abuse. They are sports glasses. They've got foam at the sides and the bridge of the nose to hold them on my face, and I figured that they would come in handy for backpacking and any other sporty things I felt like doing. I only found out that they were kids frames after I showed them to the clerk... 

But I have a small face, I guess, so they fit just fine. I think they'll do well out there. And I know I'll do better without having to worry about my only pair of glasses falling off and breaking while I'm working out or in the wilderness. 

Now I just need to adjust to being able to see clearly for the first time in over a year...