Kicking and screaming...

You know what they saying about how your body goes down hill after 40? About how your eye sight starts to fade, your saddle bags are saggier, your love handles are handier and most of your "assets" are starting to get closer to your knees!

Well for the sake of not totally embarrassing myself, we are going to limit this post (and all future posts for that matter!)to the first part of my list - my eye sight. Now since we have excluded all of my other ahem - "assets" (or liabilities as they are now!!!!!) my eye sight is something that I have held great pride in as I aged. When I have had my eyes checked previously I have always been able to read the very smallest lines and came away with at the very worst "almost" 20/20 vision. Woo hoo - go me!

Recently I have been noticing a few problems. When reviewing some of my photo sessions I have noticed occassions where a few of the pictures are focused on something other than the main subject. That is something I should have caught... Also, when using the double monitor at work I noticed I was having a hard time focusing on the smaller monitor and being able to read the words.

This was quite distressing to me, so I blamed a lot of it on my allergies which have been HORRIBLE since we moved back. The only thing reacting to them is my eyes. They burn, water and are extremely red most of the time lately. I have tried several different OTC medications/drops and even went to the doctor about it. He said I am not alone in my misery and gave me a prescription for eye drops.

That being said - I did decide it would be best if I went ahead and had my eyes checked to sure. I made an appointment with my cousin who is an eye doctor here in Ada and waited.

Once in the office, his assistant had me try to read the chart. "Read the smallest line you can." I tried as hard as I could but I could not read the bottom line...it was fuzzy. I was a complete failure! I could read the second to the bottom line but that was not good enough for me! I want to read the bottom one dang it! It seemed no matter how hard I tried it wasn't going to happen. I felt like I couldn't get my eyes to cooperate and focus - TRAITORS! I kept blinking and blinking, but to no avail!

So I sat there in the chair with my failure sitting there with me and weighing heavy on me. Jeff came in and stuck that big ol' contraption in front of my eyes and began "Is this better or this? One or two? Three or four? Here or here?" I pouted and answered his questions begrudingly knowing in my heart I was getting ready to hear those dreaded words - "Well, you do need glasses." I DO NOT want GLASSES!!!!!!!

You have to understand that I have a history with glasses. When I was (lots) younger I had to have glasses...I don't know who helped me pick out my glasses but I think it was the same person who helped that hispanic guy on the last season of American Idol pick out his. I don't think I ever had a pair that was flattering...at least not in the pictures my mom has. And to add to that I had a really bad habit of scrunching my nose up and "walking" my glasses up with my cheeks to push them up instead of using my finger. It was a habit my mother hated. So all I heard was "stop that...push your glasses up right!" I am pretty sure there was beatings and physical abuse involved! If you saw the pictures you would KNOW it was abusive to make a young girl walk around in public looking like that! And don't get me started on the Carol Brady hair cut on a 10 year old!

So needless to say I eventually stopped wearing them all together. Mom took me to get contacts when I was in 6th grade. I have astigmatism (impressed that I knew how to spell that aren't ya! Go look it up, it's right!) - and they did not make soft contacts to correct that and I went home with hard contacts. I was extremely dilagent about doing exactly as I was told. It was great having them...not only did it mean I didn't have to wear those gawd awful glasses anymore but they were also a great excuse to "have" to leave class and go "fix" my contact in the bathroom. BONUS!!! But alas, my new adventure was short lived. I woke up one morning with my eyes totally swollen shut! I tried as hard as I could and could not open them. Mom was sure I had fallen asleep with my contacts in..but they were in their case. I had never wanted to go to school so bad in all my life...I thought it would be so cool to have to be lead from one class to the next since I couldn't see. Mom said no and made me stay home. See! I told you I was mistreated! What a killjoy!

So I spent the next ????? years of my life not needing anything according to the Dr.s I saw and had no problems with my vision. Until now...

Jeff said that my problem was not with my actual ability to see - but with my ability to focus instead. Of course he had to add - that it was an ability that we lose as we get (you guessed it!) OLDER! So before he could say anything at all about glasses, I asked him if it could be corrected with contacts - because giving me glasses would be pointless since I probably won't wear them right. (I spared him the LONG story you have been subjected to here!) So he ordered me some trial contacts..I picked them up late this afternoon. I didn't have any problems putting them in and I plan to work my way into wearing them all day. My vision right now isn't great with them in...they take some getting use to and they are getting better as the evening goes on. Hopefully they will work and my focusing issue will be resolved!

So since that is all taken care of - I am going to refocus on improving my other "assets". If that doesn't work, I will have to take the contacts back out!!!