Finally got to see the optometry and ophthalmology people yesterday. We are actually the highest prestige teaching institution of these in Australia so the Campus has a free clinic as long as you allow the students to use your case for assignments etc. They are well supervised.
First the good news: my eyesight is the same as it has been for the last few years. My eyeglasses prescription requires no major changes. I also do not have glaucoma, cataracts or any damage to my cornea.
I am extremely short sighted and apparently have been preferring my prescription to be slightly too strong. I do prefer to see with crystal clarity and thus have been overtaxing my eyes instead of accepting a slightly fuzzier outlook on the world. But this is a minor issue.
I also got roused on by the supervisor because I don't blink enough. Apparently my eyes are very dry and I need to blink more. When I read a book I am supposed to blink my eyes every time I turn a page. I smiled and said that when I'm in a good book, I don;t notice the turning of the pages, I don;t even notice the words on the page. I tune out the physical world and exist in the movie in my head .....
The supervisor turned to the student and said - so how will she know to blink more often if she tunes out the physical world? The student suggested a buzzer to remind me. I frowned and the supervisor set the student an assignment to report back to her next week with a solution to the problem. The emphasis was on the word solution - so I think she was making a pun ....
I'm buying more eye drops on payday ....
Anyway it turns out the real issue is that the macula in my right eye is swollen. The macula is apparently responsible for fine tuning and focusing eyesight. And after a few hours mine just shuts down and says "nope - done enough work today".
They definitely think this is a hang-over from the eye infection I had a month or so ago. Apparently this is common and often heals itself. So I have an appointment in three and a half weeks (well they wanted four but you know ....) and I will go through the three hour barrage of tests again. If it has not settled down then I will be referred to an appropriate specialist.
This all makes sense - my eyes refuse to focus as the day goes on, and it gets harder as the week goes along.
Generally it is better on the weekends ....
So that's why I haven't stitched since I returned from Perth ..... {blush of embarrassment}
10 comments:
Happy to hear that you are getting straight answers and that in a few more weeks all should be well!
Glad to hear that they've found the cause - I hope yours heals itself! And I'm very guilty of not blinking enough as well; both at work and when I'm reading. I'm trying to do better - but it's a big part of why I haven't been wearing my contacts. They dry out too quickly when I'm working on the PC because of this.
I think many of us forget to blink when we're deeply engrossed in something. My dry eye drives me nuts with the nerve damage and putting the visco-tears in is a PITA which I regularly forget to use.
Glad that it all made sense to them and that you don't have any of the horrible eye diseases, big phew there.
Yes; blinking is HUGE!!! Ramon is finding that out with his video game playing. :( Glad that they have things a bit more figured out, hope all can be taken care of and is back to normal before the next visit.
Thanks everyone - glad to know I'm not alone.
I got stubborn this evening and stitching on BoInk regardless. Should have the latest released part ready for tomorrow's update. Just need to do one more colour later in the morning after I get some sleep.
Well, glad that it's a fairly common thing, and that it should resolve itself on its own. I hate when the ceiling fan is on, because the first thing to happen is my eyes dry out, which then leads to a headache. DH likes air blowing right in his face - he has a fan pointed at his head at night - I can't have air movement near my head at all. I was given a bottle of eye lube by the eye doc many years ago to try - I hate eye drops, don't think I ever used them.
I am glad it sounds like a self correcting issue. Take it easy on your eyes and I hope it gets better soon.
Hopefully your eye heals itself soon Mel! I think that's one of the areas of the body that are the worst to deal with.
Glad to hear that there isn't any eye disease. Apparently the student who saw you isn't much of a reader. I get so into what I'm reading that I'm not sure I would even notice the buzzer.
It would certainly be a buzz-kill in terms of reading enjoyment!
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