Experiencing red, itchy, tearing eyes for weeks now, I reached out to the office of my former local eye doctor. Since my vision loss, I have become a patient of several top specialists in Philadelphia, at both Wills Eye Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, but for something minor like allergies, they suggested I return to my old optometrist close to home. This is where I found myself one Saturday morning.
Since I go to the other physicians every six months, a full eye exam was not required at this appointment. (No dilation. Yay!) However, the technician did some basic testing: The light box on the wall containing letters of various size, the colorblind book, the how many fingers am I holding up. I think my grade was a D-, maybe even an F+, although I did manage to make out the giant “E” with my “good” eye.
As the tech made her notes on an iPad when the epic fail was over, my husband and I talked quietly to each other about the grocery list we had been making while in the waiting room. When there was a pause in our conversation, the technician said, “You drive, right?”
I whipped my head around to where Mister Rain sat across the room, his shape nearly impossible for me to find in the darkened room with my darkened eyes.
Was she kidding? All interaction to this point indicated she did not have a sense of humor. No, she was not kidding.
“No. I can’t,” I replied quietly in disbelief. What I wanted to say was, “Give me your car keys and let’s find out.”
Although her bedside manner was greatly lacking, I decided the technician had chosen the right career. After all, she could be working at the DMV.
#SisterRain #ALittleSightALotOfHeart #LegallyBlindWriter #Blind #BlindnessIsASpectrum #LegallyBlind #LowVision #VisuallyImpaired #OpticNeuropathy
