04-21-09

This morning while Orion was at physical therapy, I made Cherry Pie Oats from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen..and while they weren't actually fat free..they were delicious. I don't think I'd ever had steel cut oats before today. I like them. And no, my picture isn't as cute as hers is..but I needed to put fuel in me quickly because I had an appointment at the retinal specialist today.

Nom.

The kids weren't allowed in the eye clinic, so Orion dropped me off and then went to go find a park for the kids while they waited. In case you didn't know, Tripler Army Medical Center is HUGE and laid out in a really bad way (there are some places in the building that you get on one elevator to take you up..and then you walk down the hall to get on another elevator to take you down. Like an in between floor or something..it's weird.). Anyway, so I was supposed to go to the 2nd floor C wing. Uhh. Okay. I followed lots of hallways sure that I would never be seen again..but I found it.

After dropping my chart into the bin I was taken into a room and asked some questions about my eye health history and my family's (family, this part is important to *YOU*..you need to read on) eye health history. I wasn't aware of any eye illnesses in my family. I know some of us wear glasses/contacts but beyond that? I said I think we're pretty good. The nurse gave me some eyedrops that made my lids feel all heavy (numb) and then drops to dilate my eyes and I was told to go sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes while they take effect. After about 5 minutes, I couldn't read the magazines anymore. After 10 minutes I couldn't even see the words on my cellphone's screen for texting. So I sat and watched tv. I have never felt so blind before in my life..and this was all while I was wearing glasses!

Dr. Olsen came in and called me back and shined really bright lights in my eyes while looking inside and all of these other fancy tricks and then he starts talking to me (at first about how he can still hear my New Jersey accent and I knowwwww. Don't come around my house when I'm talking about coffee. It's annoying and everyone ALWAYS points it out. I knowwwwwww) about all of these technical terms but I can't even SEE him in front of me because of the brightness that just happened..so I couldn't concentrate on all of that. He asked me if I spend a lot of time staring into the sun. Nope. He said I was a very interesting case (man, I hear that a lot) because yes, I have druse in both of my eyes and it's not something you see in healthy 26 year olds. You just don't. He said it was kind of exciting..ya know, as a case study. They'll be monitoring me every year for the rest of my life and if something visual changes, I need to come in so they can look for macular degeneration.

It's scary to think I might be blind one day. I depend on my eyes for way too much to lose that ability. But I can't think about that because it just bums me out like extra crazy. However, Dr. Olsen did say that it's nothing to worry about right now and it is possible that I'll live the rest of my life and have no changes in the size of the druse..but this is why they monitor me.

And then they took pictures of my eyes:

right eye


left eye

I can't tell what's going on in there..but ewwww isn't that so creepy? Hahaha.

Family, this part's for you. When any of you go to the eye doctor, you're supposed to let them know that your sister (daughter..whoever I am to you if we have a blood tie) has druse in both of her eyes and ask them to check you for them. It could be hereditary. I could have been born with it (but we'll never know because the first time anyone's even LOOKED in my eyes for something out of the norm was a couple of weeks ago). Just a head's up. I love you and your eyes.

And now for something that made me jump when I looked in the mirror:

can you see how dilated they are?! I feel like a monster or something..

Look closer. Ewwwaahhhhhuuggghhh..that's so scary!!

Have a lovely day!