What to Expect: Eye Exam

Today we have a guest post from Meg Storie about her recent trip to the eye doctor!

Meg was born and raised in Columbus, OH. She lives with her husband, David, and their codependent cat. Meg enjoys reading the paper, traveling and doing mundane tasks. She has been part of the CCA family since her first retreat in Indianapolis. Meg was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome (Meg says, "Think of clipped ears on Peeps!") and serves as a provider for children on the autism spectrum and caregiver to the elderly. Meg says, "My happiness is handful of Reese cups, a walk, lots of water and a sense of humor daily!"

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It has been over twenty years since my last eye exam. I had small harmless eye checks at the DMV and in the nurse’s office in grade school, but never a thorough one from a medical doctor. I scheduled mine when I scheduled my husband’s annual eye exam. My advice is to schedule your appointment to get your eyes dilated on a cloudy day! Unfortunately, the day I went, it was really sunny.

The technician welcomed and introduced me to five machines. She was patient and walked me through each step as I was tested with each machine. The machines take pictures of the front and back of the eye, shine a light in your eye to check for any blurriness, asses your vision, and also check your ability to focus on an object. I was wondering why I was staring at a little picture of a farm... Too bad it didn't have a pig to go with it! Then, came the glaucoma test... I didn't care for the air puff and the poking, but it is mostly painless. 

Then, I met with the ophthalmologist and had opportunity to share my concerns. I have sensitivity to the sun and my left eye constantly waters. I also told her that I get migraines. She said I have no eyesight issues and that I didn't need glasses. My problems didn't seem to concern her, but she told me she going to read up on Treacher Collins Syndrome before my next visit.  She also suggested an eye drop or eyelid surgery to reduce the watery eye, going forward.

After the exam, David shopped for his new pair of glasses while I went next door to Panera Bread to get a smoothie. By the time we left, my eyes and head were somewhat back to normal to drive home, but I would also recommend walking home if you can. I doubled up my shades and walked out knowing my preventive eye health was taken care of, but we might need to borrow couple Pilot dogs for next time we get our eyes dilated!