Longing for 20-20

Ever since I got my first pair of glasses at 17, I have had excellent vision (with my glasses on), sometimes even better than 20-20. I was always the one who could see the road signs well in advance of everyone else. But I panicked today as my right eye just didn’t quite make it.

For the past few months I have sensed something shifting in my vision. I got new progressive lenses, but I just haven’t had that same crispness to the distance vision and threading a needle has become a challenge.

Yesterday when I went in for my annual eye exam, the technician tried all sorts of combinations to improve my vision. But our dialog was a series of Better? No, Better? No, Better? No.

In a panic, I realized I couldn’t read that last line that I always whizzed by in the past. What’s wrong with my right eye? I asked. The doctor will discuss it with you, she replied.

I really do worry because the reason I have an annual appointment is to check for melanoma on the back of my eye. What if????

Dr. Kolsky checked my eyes and confirmed that I have tiny “age-appropriate” cataracts. He said the one on my right eye may have gotten a tiny bit bigger, thereby causing my slightly less than 20-20 vision. No need for surgery at this point, he said.

I’ll take a cataract over a melanoma any day, even if it spoils my perfect vision score. But I am still somewhat bummed by yet another sign that I am moving toward OLD. I keep wondering what life will be like when I finally get there...