Eyeballs and Stuff

When I bought my glasses in Algodones, Mexico last November they did a test that checked the pressure inside my eyeballs by blowing a puff of air at my eye and measuring the amount of deflection. After doing the test he told me to relax a bit and walk around. He then re-did the test and told me that he detected a "pequeño problema", a small problem. The pressure in one eye was higher than the other. He said it was not something to worry about but I should have it checked when I got home.

A couple of weeks ago I made an appointment with my local optometrist. She went through a large battery of tests, including the same one they did in Mexico. Another test was a Fields Test where you look into a box and press a button every time you see a flash that moves around the field of vision. She told me I had some minor sun damage and that the pressure was the same in both eyes but at the top of the “normal” range. I had also come close to failing the Fields Test with my left eye.

While I was there she inspected my glasses and said, “Did you buy these in Mexico?”. “Si, Mexico”, I said. She asked how much I paid and I told her $200 including the exam. She said she could not even buy the glass for that. She said they were very good quality but had no coating and that next time I should get them coated.

She then referred me to a specialist in Courtenay. This, of course, does not happen right away. They make you sweat it out for two weeks, time which I spent shopping for white canes on eBay.

The other day I drove down to Courtenay where they did the pressure thing with the blast of wind again and then did the same test with a different machine that actually pushes on the eyeball! They gave me the Fields Test again only with a much fancier machine. When they were done she told me she would send the results back to my doctor but not to expect a call from her. I guess she was telling me that I had passed! I am going to have to start wearing sun glasses to prevent further sun damage but otherwise I got a clean bill of eyeball health! Life Is Good!