I did something today that I said I would never do… I got contact lenses.  My husband, Jeff, has worn contacts since his senior year in high school.  My son, Jason, has worn them since 4th grade.  I, on the other hand, have always sworn that I could “never, ever put those things in my eyes.”  Hmmmm…apparently the old adage “never say never” has some merit.

For the record, I have always had 20/10 vision.  (That’s when you can read the line at the bottom of the chart that you’re not supposed to be able to read.)  I remember everyone saying to me “wait until you turn 40, your vision will be the first thing to go.”  I always thought to myself “yeah, right.”  Imagine my dismay when the day arrived that I could no longer see to write things on the calendar, or hold books far enough from my eyes to focus…

I remember distinctly going to the eye doctor at 42, and wondering if I would be getting glasses for the first time in my life. (Oh, yeah, I did have glasses at some point in my childhood because I kept getting headaches.  I hated them and refused to wear them, although I do believe I still have those ugly things somewhere.)   For the first time, I began to feel my age.  Neither the big “3-0” nor the bigger “4-0” had been troublesome for me.  (Except when Jeff’s Mom commented that I was now “middle-aged.”  I was not pleased.  Wasn’t middle age 55 or 60?  It was then pointed out that most people do not live to be 110 or 120.)

My eye exam went well until I explained to the eye doctor the reason for my visit — my arms weren’t long enough anymore.  The doctor laughed and gently explained that as the eyes “mature” (I think he was trying to be kind), we develop presbyopia or “short arm syndrome.”  Put simply, the eyes’ ability to focus diminishes.  He also explained that while Jeff and Jason have myopia, which is nearsightedness, I have hyperopia, or farsightedness.  As we get older, our farsightedness gets worse, and eventually we can’t do close work without proper magnification.

Thus, my days of reading glasses began.  It started innocently enough, I just needed readers with +1.25 magnification.  Nine years later, both the strength of the readers and the sheer number of them in the house, have multiplied.  I have them all over….at the computer, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the living room, and even in my purse for when we go out to dinner.  (It helps if you can read the menu.)  I began to realize that life is too short to be forever searching for a pair of reading glasses…

Ironically, my younger son, Joshua, and I are both farsighted.  At his recent eye doctor appointment, I found myself making an appointment for myself.  When filling out my paperwork, I checked the box for “need new glasses” and completely ignored the box for “need new contacts.”  That was just not an option for me, I reasoned, as I can’t even put eye drops in my own eyes.  I would have to cave and do as Jeff has suggested for the past several years:  “Just put your glasses on when you get up in the morning, and leave them on!”

So here I sat again in the eye doctor’s chair, awaiting the grim news.  Indeed, my eyes had reached the point that I needed a “multifocal” lens to correct all of my vision issues.  The distance vision has gotten even more “distant,” I crane my neck to see the computer screen with my “middle” vision and, of course, I’m practically blind up close.  Then came the big question:  “Are you interested in trying multifocal contact lenses?”  Bemused, I heard myself respond with a tentative “maybe.”

Fast forward to today:  I had my contact fitting appointment this morning at 9:30am.  I didn’t even tell Jeff that I was going in case I wasn’t able to get the things in my eyes.  I was filled with trepidation and something akin to excitement.  If I could do this, I would never have to go in search of a pair of glasses again, and I would have countless extra minutes every day.  Dr. Sweitzer is such a nice guy, and easy on the eyes, too.  (Literally and figuratively!)  He was able to get the contacts in first try.  He then rechecked my vision, removed the contacts and took me to another room to put them in myself.

Fortunately, his able bodied assistants were up to the task of helping me learn to put contacts in my eyes.  It took more time than I hoped (almost an hour), but I was determined.  And besides, I wasn’t allowed to leave the office until I could put them in, take them out and put them back in again.  My apologies to the ladies, but by the time I got both contacts in, I had made up my mind that I was only taking one out and putting it back in.  If I could do that, I was good to go.  And I did!  Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?  Wait…did I just call myself old?