When I was twelve I had to get my eyes dilated. The only available sunglasses were my mother's big, obviously female sunglasses (1976 or so). Of course she insisted that we had to stop at the grocery store on the way home, being oblivious to the sensibilities of a 12 year old. I still hate eye dilation.
"Gah". Can be an exclamation of dismay, disgust, discord...nth. First time I got treated by an ophthalmologist for Dry Eye, I wasn't warned about dilation. I reckon that 15-mile drive home in the bright summer Pensacola sunshine was akin to a dilated woman running the 440 high hurdles. Twice or thrice. My biggest fear was of being pulled over by the FHP and being immediately cuffed, beaten and arrested for D.U.I. (drug impaired). "Gah", indeed. I hope you had a designated driver...kind of like when you were an NFO. Those were the days, huh? Sometimes I wish I'd have been an EA-6 EWO or an A-6 B/N. Not a RIO backseater to a big ego F-14 jet jockey though. EP-3? Sure. Who doesn't love per diem and 5-star hotels on deployment? See ya. ☺
Actually drove myself back, slowly and carefully…with my darkest sunglasses and the disposables inside them. Next time I will tell them up front not NO, but HELL NO to dilation!
I'm a retired physician, with known retinal and early cataract problems, so dilation is routine.
my standard is to try to get my Optometrist appointment early in the am - not later than 1000 hrs, then spend the following 3 hours in the VA cafeteria wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, reading on my tablet set to night mode.
by the time the cafeteria starts to close down, the dilation has worn down to the point where I can see well enough to safely navigate.
I'm with ya! I just had that done. Last week they found two retinal tears in my left eye (both eyes dilated). Two days later I got them lasered (both eyes dilated). This week went back for the post-op check (all fine) and one eye dilated. It's been a couple weeks. Whee!
When I was twelve I had to get my eyes dilated. The only available sunglasses were my mother's big, obviously female sunglasses (1976 or so). Of course she insisted that we had to stop at the grocery store on the way home, being oblivious to the sensibilities of a 12 year old. I still hate eye dilation.
"Gah". Can be an exclamation of dismay, disgust, discord...nth. First time I got treated by an ophthalmologist for Dry Eye, I wasn't warned about dilation. I reckon that 15-mile drive home in the bright summer Pensacola sunshine was akin to a dilated woman running the 440 high hurdles. Twice or thrice. My biggest fear was of being pulled over by the FHP and being immediately cuffed, beaten and arrested for D.U.I. (drug impaired). "Gah", indeed. I hope you had a designated driver...kind of like when you were an NFO. Those were the days, huh? Sometimes I wish I'd have been an EA-6 EWO or an A-6 B/N. Not a RIO backseater to a big ego F-14 jet jockey though. EP-3? Sure. Who doesn't love per diem and 5-star hotels on deployment? See ya. ☺
Actually drove myself back, slowly and carefully…with my darkest sunglasses and the disposables inside them. Next time I will tell them up front not NO, but HELL NO to dilation!
I'm a retired physician, with known retinal and early cataract problems, so dilation is routine.
my standard is to try to get my Optometrist appointment early in the am - not later than 1000 hrs, then spend the following 3 hours in the VA cafeteria wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, reading on my tablet set to night mode.
by the time the cafeteria starts to close down, the dilation has worn down to the point where I can see well enough to safely navigate.
Just did that yesterday myself.
Annual retinopathy exam. Joy.
And it seems that my cataracts have started. But they are yet small enough not to cause issues yet.
We have definitely outlived the warranties.
Get the cataract surgery! It does wonders for your vision!!!
When the time comes, I will. Mine are still new and tiny and not yet affecting my vision.
I pay extra for them to use a fancy camera that doesn't require my eyes to be dilated.
Sigh…that is NOT an option for me when the VA is doing that.
I'm with ya! I just had that done. Last week they found two retinal tears in my left eye (both eyes dilated). Two days later I got them lasered (both eyes dilated). This week went back for the post-op check (all fine) and one eye dilated. It's been a couple weeks. Whee!