Retina Specialist visit

Me in my dark glasses

Lily took this picture of me when we went to the see the tulips last week. I like it very much, and I also noticed that my glasses had turned very dark. They are transition lenses, and they turn dark or light without my thinking about it. That link will tell you about the pros and cons of lenses that change, depending on the situation.

Today, I learned that they will be sufficient for most times that I'm outside, but I really should NOT go outdoors without dark glasses in full sunlight. We are just now beginning our bright sunlight days here in the Pacific Northwest, and I'll need to be more proactive about protecting my eyes from UV light.

The retina specialist examined my eyes closely and compared the pictures with those from six months ago. There is definitely progression in my AMD (age-related macular degeneration). That is not exactly news, but if I want to continue to protect my eyes, I've got to start wearing wide brimmed-hats as well as dark glasses whenever I'm in sunlight. He said that all UV light will cause damage to my poor eyes. I definitely don't want to lose any more vision, but unfortunately I will. Anything I can do to slow it down is essential. This is what happens with AMD:

Although macular degeneration reduces vision in the central part of the retina, it usually does not affect the peripheral vision. For example, you may be able to see the outline of a clock but not be able to tell what time it is. AMD does not cause total blindness.

Well, that's just peachy. (That information was in a handout that the doctor gave me today.) I get a little bit emotional whenever I visit the specialist, because I am reminded once again that my vision may or may not last me for the rest of my life. But then again, I can see well enough right now and will do everything I can to keep the damage to a minimum.
:-{

The whole glasses thing

Maiden voyage with my new glasses

This whole business of getting cataract surgery and trying to decide what to do with the resulting eye situation has been harrowing. Not to mention that a week ago I seemed to burst a blood vessel in my right eye and looked a little hideous without glasses to hide behind. It's almost completely cleared up now, though. Whew!

I really wanted to just have glasses for driving and sitting in movie theaters where I needed to see every little detail. So I bought myself a lovely pair of distance lenses that have Transitions and anti-glare, but I found myself at a complete loss when wearing them and not being able to see anything close up. It was driven home to me when I was on a hike in the rain and couldn't see well enough to latch my chest strap. Since I needed both hands, and one of them was holding up the glasses, my level of frustration helped me decide to get progressive lenses.

Now I've worn progressives for decades and love them, but I didn't want to spend the extra money, and therefore I ended up spending twice as much. But the good part is that I have an extra pair of distance glasses and now I can see everything just great with my new glasses. They also have Transitions and anti-glare, plus I don't have to take them off to see up close. Other than needing another visit to the store for additional fitting (the nose pieces pinch), I couldn't be happier.

Now that I've written this post, I think I skip down to the optical shop and get that little task taken care of. I need to add a few more steps to my daily quota anyway.
:-)