That’s where it began. Dr. Jay, the most knowledgeable, caring and informative Optometrist I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting told me my vision hadn’t gotten worse over the last two years. My eyes were fighting an inaccurate prescription which made me feel like my vision was getting worse.

 

What Dr. Jay didn’t seem to be able to comprehend, and what I finally stopped trying to explain to him, is that when I got these glasses in August 2020 they did correct my vision and were fine at that time. Since I sit in front of a computer numerous hours every day I need to be able to see without struggling. Had they not performed as expected I’d have taken them back immediately. I’m not too shy or reserved to make sure I get what I pay for. To me, glasses are an investment!

 

When I broke down in August 2020 to buy new glasses I resisted because I didn’t want to spend the money, but I was struggling to see and was getting headaches. I was relieved when I started wearing the new glasses and grateful for the clear vision, once again.

 

The only drawback was that I’d asked for glasses that focused at arms length, not book reading length, to accommodate my lifestyle. Unfortunately someone didn’t get the memo and I had no time to deal with it as I was days from leaving Tucson for my next adventure location further south and chose to accept them, as is, and just sit closer to the monitor… for the last two years! lol

 

I’ve wanted to get a new prescription for awhile. With my uncustomary reading a large stack of physical books over the summer I noticed how strained my eyes were becoming, especially my right eye which was much worse than my left. It was to the degree that I could barely see the letters with my right eye even with my glasses. The less trendy, southern Arizona location where I’ve been for the last 5 months didn’t have any glasses stores with frames I liked so I decided to hold off. Then, yesterday I took flight via United Airlines and landed in my current adventure location where I’ll temporarily be for the next 11 days awaiting a winter of housesitting in Eugene & Portland Oregon.

 

 

This city IS trendy, so I scoped out a few possibilities to check out today – my first full day here. I decided on a place about 5 or 6 minutes walking distance from where I’m staying. The photo you see above IS the actual optics shop I visited, and the portrait image IS Dr. Jay.

Be it noted Dr. Jay was around my son’s age (mid-30s) and as professional as they come, so if you’re thinking he was being funny, flirting, or had a big ego and needed to appear right, let me be clear and say he was not. He was nice, informative, social and not bad on these ole eyes, but his comment held a sincere glimmer of surprise in the reporting, almost as if he couldn’t believe he was seeing what he was saying.

 

After the exam was complete he volunteered his position that it wasn’t my eyes that were getting worse but that my prescription had been off two years ago, and, if anything, my right eye was nearly as clear as my left.

 

I was befuddled! My right eye had always been worse than my left. Stigmatism. Diagnosed in early college days. Now he’s telling me there is nigh difference between them. I knew that couldn’t be true, yet, the glasses he “built” for me to test out right there in his office were perfect! Best vision I’d had in decades with them on. Therefore, I knew he knew his shit. Yet, what then was going on? How could my eyes have improved? No idea.

 

I still need glasses for close up clarity. That hasn’t changed. But the ones I got in August 2020 were the correct prescription – or should I say, they improved my vision at that time exponentially. How then, over the last two years have they progressively become less and less effective – to the point where I can barely see out of the right lens?

 

Dr. Jay says it is because my vision is much better than the lenses are made for.

 

I say if they once worked and now don’t my logic of it being the result of my vision worsening over those years is flawed.

 

If you Google the phrase, “can your eyesight get better?” the results will say, “Unfortunately, eyesight cannot be improved naturally and there is no way to change a refractive error…”

 

Yet mine has! The improvement is unexplainable. When I tried to share this truth with Dr. Jay he asked if I’d had laser surgery. I replied, “No.” Then, embracing Occam’s razor he fell back to his original postulate: My vision was always of this quality.

 

Only I know… I experienced it differently, and all I can do is stand in this knowing and let Dr. Jay stand in his. Either way, my trendy new glasses will be ready next Tuesday – with plenty of time to spare before I hit the road to Oregon on the 14th.