But I might be dying of a distorted cornea.
I hate going to the eye doctor to the point that it’s a complete irrational fear that deserves anxiety medication. After a mild break-down at the machine that flashes light (not air, sweet Jesus do not even get me started on that machine), I suggested sedation optometry.
& my eye doctor is like, “But my work kind of requires you to be an active participant” & I’m all THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
Normally I slouch into his office about once every two years when my vision has become so bad that I can barely watch Hoarders. Partly because I have no vision insurance, but mostly because I would rather have an unmedicated root canal than sit in that exam chair with modern torture devices a mere foot away. But lately I’ve been messing with a grey hue in my left eye, serious blurriness & blistering headaches. I was pretty convinced I was dying from Lyme Disease but it turns out that I had a bad batch of contacts that distorted my cornea.
Don’t ask me what that means.
Other than two hours in hell while they poked around my left eye. I’m clawing at the chair with sweat pouring down me & he’s like, “Dude, you should see someone for this anxiety issue.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I ALREADY DO & THIS IS IMPROVEMENT.
The good news is that I’m not actually dying. Yet.
But it does mean that for the next few weeks until it heals, I will be going back to the optometrist for weekly checks. I guess I should have gone in earlier. & apparently it would heal faster if I could wear my glasses full-time, but you know, they haven’t been updated since 2005 since I hate the eye doctor so much.
I basically created my own tenth circle of hell.
Ugh – I DREAD the eye doctor too. Which is better: A or B? A or B? A or B? I CAN”T HANDLE THE PRESSURE!
Glad you’re dying. And thanks for the reminder. I haven’t been since ’07 and I’m long overdue for a prescription update.
My eye doctor and dentist are right across from each other in the medical plaza so I schedule the appointments on the same day and I start with the dreaded dentist. Its like eating your vegetables first so you can end with dessert. And my dessert are the silly tests that eye doctors do. I LOVE the eye doctor and HATE the dentist. So funny that you are opposite. Glad you aren’t dying…now I’m scared my contacts are going to kill me.
Trust me when I say that you would NOT rather have an unmedicated root canal. Just… trust me.
Glad you figured out the problem! Grey hues, blurriness, and blistering headaches don’t sound like any fun.
The eye doctor is the worst. I too, would rather have a tooth ripped out WITHOUT Novocain if it meant I didn’t have to get poked and prodded in the eyes. Even when it comes to movies. I can watch all the gore and the mess but when it comes to peoples eyes… I immediately feel sick and run out of the room like a scared little child.
I was having eye issues a couple years ago where my eye lid was mysteriously swelling up for no reason. I made the call to the Ophthalmologist [big step for me] and after about 20mins. of an eye exam and some ink dribbled into my eyes I was given medicine and sent on my way [luckily I have been free and clear since]. -Oddly enough a few weeks ago I saw on the news that ‘my’ eye doctor was arrested on fraud and misuse of patient records.
All the more reason to never see the eye doctor again
ahhhhhh! I LOATHE the eye doctor!!! so glad someone shares my hatred of them – my husband just doesn’t get it. i started to cry while there in February after being there for 4 HOURS!!!! then I had to go back once a week through the end of the month – sheer torture… my eyes aren’t even that bad…
I love the dentist, but I’ve never had dental work done. The eye doctor however….ugh. That air puff machine and the stupid “Which is better A or B?” “1 or 2″ when they seriously look the SAME and then you take a second to respond to try to figure it out and the doctor’s all like not smaller and darker, clearer….huh, WHAT THE F**K DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!? lol
Oh thank god you don’t have Lyme disease.. No fun!
I think you look fantastic in your glasses!! Hope your eye gets better soon.
My eye glasses have been updated 3x since 2005 and yours are still cuter
I agree! I hate the eye doctor. I forced myself to make an appointment today because I need new glasses. When I called, the receptioninst said that I have not been since 2006!
oh my goodness. the eye doctor is nothing NOW THE DENTIST THAT I SCARY! im serious, im so scared of the dentist. And those glasses look hott!
You look super hot in your glasses! So glad you don’t have lyme disease and that you figured out what your headaches and stuff were from.
As a side note, when I was younger, (like 8), I decided I would look cute in glasses. So I told my mom I thought I needed my eyes checked. And then… I lied on the eye exam. I made up letters. And he stopped the exam and told me the machine could tell when I was lying. Ha! I didn’t need glasses.
Okay, sorry, didn’t mean to write a novel-long comment, just had a little laugh at that memory. Again, happy you don’t have lyme disease.
Umm, why do they have to shoot air into our eye?? And I also feel a panic attack coming on when they start asking me which is better. I just know I am answering it wrong and he thinks I am faking. Gah.
PS- try Zenni Optical (http://www.zennioptical.com) for the glasses. They are super cheap. Like my hubby is basically blind and needs like crazy intense, complicated glasses can still get a prescription pair for $35 (no insurance needed). You just ask the optometrist to write you your glasses prescription and the only measurement you have to do yourself is the distance between 2 pupils (have Nate hold a ruler and measure while you look straight ahead)
I think glasses are hot.
So much so that I wear glasses and do not use contacts.
And my doctor told me to read off his letters board and all I could think was that the last letters were so small that a frickin eagle wouldn’t be able to read them(and that’s not because the eagle is not…ummm…literate…).
Don’t they get bored? Or do they get some constant sadistic pleasure???
That machine with the puff of air? HATRED. Seriously, my eyes are welling up with tears right now at the mere thought of it. I loathe the eye doctor, too. Hope your eye heals quickly!!!
The first time I ever went to the eye doctor and they shined the light in my eyes with that prism thing I laughed uncontrollably and it didn’t help that my dad was in the background laughing as well. I know that eye doctor thought I was psycho. I also hate the eye doctor…that puff of air machine sends me over!
I thought I was the only one! I haven’t been back to the eye doctor since the last time when I told the doc that I have a serious eye phobia and that he MUST tell me before he did the air puff in my eye.
He was all, “Oh, I’m not going to do the air puff.” AND THEN HE PUFFED ME, and I seriously flipped shit. Big time. I think I cried hysterically for a good six hours.
So now I just order my glasses from Zenni Optical, even though my prescription is probably way outdated (the eye phobia is so bad that I can’t handle contacts anyway). I just can’t handle going back!
Ugh, I hate the eye doctor. I thought I was the only one who had major anxiety when it came to going haha. I dread the air puff machine and I swear every.single.time I have that test done I hear “oh, you flinched so we have to do it again” & again & again…its like really, I’m going to flinch every time b/c I hate it & I’m freaking out right now! Not only that but it costs hundreds of dollars every time b/c I wait so long to that I always have to buy contacts, new glasses, etc…hate it…
I loathe the eye doctor as well! Thankfully my new one is quick so the torture is over quickly. Unfortunately I am as blind as a bat so it means keeping my yearly appointments. Sigh. At least they have retired that stupid air-machine. The part I hate the most is dilating my pupils. They have to keep a close check on my optic nerves (b/c of course they can’t be normal) so they usually dilate my pupils twice which means I can barely find my way home. Hopefully your eye heals quickly! Your glasses are super cute!
I am seriously baffled by all of you people who loathe the eye doctor. Also, what eye doctor are you all going to where you get “poked and prodded” in your eyes?! My eye exams consist of darkened rooms, hushed tones, and the whole “which looks better” routine. The dilating drops burn a little but they don’t incite loathing on my part. The dentist, on the other hand, scrapes and stabs and draws blood, and sometimes drills. Horrible pain. Plus there’s the choking aspect. No comparison, in my mind. Dentist = hellish. Eye doctor = soothing.
BA, the cornea distortion sounds crumby. Sorry about that and hope it heals fast!
I hate that you have anxiety about the eye doctor. I am actually an optometrist here in NC and love my job! I definitely don’t poke and prod at people, unless they have metal in their eye
I hope your fears resolve and your cornea gets back to normal soon!
The air puff machine is the stuff nightmares are made of. I’m 32 and haven’t been to the eye dr since I was in high school, I hate it so much. My eyes are watering as I type this, knowing how badly I need to go, but my eyes arent too bad and I’d rather squint than endure that torture! Good part of reading this is knowing the puff machine will not be in my next appt! Yay!!!
I just want you to know that my eyes twitched in watery sympathy while reading this.
Ack! Blair, my friend, you don’t want to mess around with your eyes. Yikes. I’ve had contacts since I was 7 (!) and a bad batch of contacts gave me bubbles on my cornea when I was about 13. I had to wear glasses in eighth grade for approximately 8 weeks – which, of course, was during my ugly duckling phase. I had braces at that time as well…of course my cheerleading picture captured me in all my glory.
Once I could wear contacts again they switched me to hard lenses and those were torture. I finally gave up on hard lenses after about a year and went back to soft ones and have been using them ever since.
You look super cute in your glasses! Hope you recover quickly.
just popped in to say how much i adore your blog. i’m new to it, but i find myself checking multiple times a day to see if there is a new post. thanks for being so honest about your darkest days.
I hate going to the eye doctor so much that last year when they screwed up my prescription to my contacts and everything came off slightly blurry and doubled – I never said a word. I just squint. A lot.
So I get it. And the air puff – I dread the air puff.
I totally freak out at the eye doctor. One time they actually held me down to put a contact in my eye to “show me” and I was like I’m gonna sue you! I hate you! It was awful. I hate when they touch my eyes and the damn air puff and then having to look at the grotesque picture after they touch my eye reminding me of it.
Plus add in there my indecisiveness and I’m like uh I like number two no number one no can I see them again? can I do both? grr
I am an I doctor in NC as well, and I am cracking up at this post. I didn’t realize that we are so are
formidable! the air puff definitely sucks, I will give you that.keep us updated with how it is going… I want to make sure they are taking good care of you!