Today after work, I had my annual eye exam. Being diabetic, I pay a bit more in insurance to get a yearly exam instead of the standard two year exam. Gotta make sure there's no gloucoma in the old eyeballs.
Anyway, before we started the exam, I had to do stuff on these three machines. The first was checking my peripheral vision, the girl said. (and her voice, oh, it was high pitched, and irritating, like a poodle on helium yapping away) it was like a video game, I had to look in and when I saw flashing lines, hit a button. She said I only missed one. I guess that's good.
Then I had to look into something that showed a cartoon of a highway running off into the distance with a hot air balloon above it. All I did was look. It was measuring something, I got no idea what, but apparently I did well on that also.
Then the last one was what I hate: The puff of air. I got in both eyes, but everything was okay with that as well, I guess. Don't know really what that does, but no one got concerned about any of the tests.
Then I was handed off to the doctor. He asked if I had any problems, and I told him I was having trouble with really small print, had to get a good light behind me and hold it close. He said it might be time for bi-focals, and I groaned. He said it affects everyone sometime between 35 and 40 something, so i was right in there. I guess that was to make me feel better. It just reminded me how old I was.
He gave me a card with some writing on it, and I could see it fine. Then he put two lenese over my glasses and asked if that was any better. It was, a little. I had to think about it, though, to make sure it was jsut a little better. He took the lenses away and then brought them back. I was still studying it when he yanked the lenses away and said, "You don't need them yet. When I put the lenses up, you're supposed to see an immediate and marked improvement. If you have to think about it, then you're not ready for bifocals." I cheered. He continued, "But i've made a note so I know to check it every exam from now on." I groaned again.
Other than that, after all the tests, he said my left eye got just a bit more near-sighted, but there was no reason to change my presciption. Basically, everything's pretty much fine now. I cheered again.
Then I went out front and got to chose a new pair of frames. I'm getting the lenses that change with the sun again, and I'm getting some kind of lighter lenses as well. the insurance pays for everything but the light lenses, so my entire bill when I pick up the glasses will be $25. That's it. And this might be the first year, in the 13 years that I've had eye insurance through work, that I've had to pay anything...although I might have had to pay the $25 for the light lenses the last time, I'm not sure.
Yeah, I bitch about my job, but the insurance ROCKS!
So hopefully before too long, you'll see a photo here of Uncle Polt's new glasses...and him in them, presumably.
POLT
Listening to "Map Of The Problematique" by Muse"What did you get me?" "What's six times twenty four?" "Um...a lot?" "I got you a lot of bottle rockets." - A Local Celebrity, Mr. David ParisPeking
