Eye Doctor Visit

It’s bad enough to see a physician once a year, but having to go twice a year is not only more expensive, but can be nerve wracking. My husband and I try to keep our eye appointments together. It just makes it easier to get it done at one time. When our last eye appointment was due, he needed to have a procedure done related to his cataract surgery from three years ago, and subsequently his eyes were checked as an after visit. I hadn’t made my appointment and by the time I got around to it it was past the six months mark. But I wanted to get it in before the end of the new year because all of the deductibles had been paid. So I got an appointment for Friday, December 23 - a day no one wants to work. In spite of the atrocious weather last week both my husband and I walked over to the office. He kept me company and would be on hand in the event I would need to have something done. Even having been in health care for thirty years my anxiety level sky rockets whenever I see a doctor. My heart races and my blood pressure climbs - which is why I alway bring a history of these measurements to share. My eye pressures have been on the higher end for as long as I can remember. I’m currently taking drops for that and it’s been “stable.” The doctor needed to recheck the eye pressures because they seemed a bit high this time. I asked him if my eye pressures would rise like my blood pressure  - and he said that could be likely. In any event the pressure was already lower with the second reading - which is what always happens. Aside from the fact that I still don’t need cataract surgery and everything else was in check makes me happy. I can’t tell you how many visual field tests and optic nerve photos I have had. Then out of the blue I lost vision on the right side of my right eye this week. I haven’t had this happen for at least four years. It’s almost like a migraine event with eye involvement. It’s scary, but usually subsides once I lay down, take two aspirins, and rest a bit. Thank goodness I know what it is and have had about eight instances of this since it first started way back around 1980. I’ve been on baby aspirin ever since after having had a CT scan and a neuro consultant. I have a lot of little things wrong with me and they are starting to add up. Let’s hope this new year is good to us.