A glimpse of hope and unity

So after a rather horrendous day yesterday spent huddled over my toilet or sleeping 14 hours, I awoke today feeling much refreshed albeit achy from all the bed rest. Rushed to get cleaned up and out of the house by 8 so I could fight the traffic and disgusting brown mist that happens on not quite rainy days here in Dallas. Ever so glad I washed my car by hand two weeks ago, it looks quite lovely and dirty again now.

My regular doctor seems to have made it a point to be booked up in either city council meetings or with other patients for the next few months, so I had my eyes checked by his new protege. I figured it would be safer to go with the person he approves of rather than picking someone out from the phone book, even if going to her means having to drive to Garland. When you have had the same eye doctor you entire life, it is hard to just choose to go elsewhere.

So now I am sitting here, blinking much more than normal and applying drops every few hours to my eyes as I try to adjust to contacts for the first time. I decided that I might as well give them another shot after the last time when I had some sort of funky mild eye infection that made the contacts burn my eyes for hours on end. They kind of itch as I can still feel them, which I know will go away in a few days. I think thought, I am mostly just so impressed with not having to have glasses on my face to see read print five feet away that the itching could last forever and I wouldn't mind.

I expect tomorrow to be even better as she gave me a stronger lens for my left eye as I still couldn't read the tiny print on the back wall after putting this one in. But as I had already put them in and taken them out twice, all while still kinda of numb from the eye drops used for the glaucoma test, she said it was best to just keep the not-quite-clear one in for the day. I also have a shiny new prescription so that I can get another pair of glasses as well since my current pair has a layer of scratches on the right lens that has made seeing a constant pain for over a year.

It is definitely a different experience to see the world this clearly. Itchy, but wonderful. I know contacts can be as much of a hassle as glasses, but really, for the opportunity to not have to wipe the smears away constantly or to push them back up my nose, this is a wonderful feeling, as close as I can ever remember ever seeing the world with my own eyes.

Though, to be completely honest, it's a little weird, like having the mask you think of as a piece of your face suddenly ripped off. Nothing left to hide behind.