See you later

Tonight I went to the Lasik center for my pre-operation exam. I was apprehensive about my eyes being dilated. It's all I could think about--not how well I was going to see, but how badly I would see for a few hours. I do live in the moment.

The doctor took my glasses and had them examined while she did a thorough eye test. Without my glasses I could barely make out the mammoth E on the Snellen chart. One more week, I kept telling myself. What would I do if my glasses broke now? I'd be like Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark, fumbling my way around.

After the exam the doctor looked at me worriedly. She noticed that my right eye had more astigmatism than my left but that my contact lens prescription hadn't reflected that. She asked me if I had trouble shifting from near vision to far vision. I said yes, that sometimes when I'd been reading up close and switched to distance I had trouble focusing. Because my prescriptions are fairly weak, my eyes are working harder than they should. If the surgery were performed next week, I might need a touchup later on.

She explained that when I had the consultation, the consultants were looking to see if I was a good candidate for Lasik, but it wasn't until this exam that the doctor could get the details of what was going on with my eyes.

So, the doctor prescribed me a new pair of glasses and recommended that I wait until March to have the surgery so my eyes could adjust better. I was disappointed, but I appreciated her not rushing me into surgery. My Christmas miracle will come a little late.