I came in for my annual eye exam and got a shock. The receptionist told me I was scheduled for a medical problem.
I said, “There must be some mistake. Are you sure you don’t have me mixed up with someone else? I’m here for a vision check-up.”
“No, the doctor diagnosed you with Macular Degeneration last year.”
“What? No one told me that.” All I could think about was a woman, that I used to care for, had gone blind from that and couldn’t read anymore. Tears welled in my eyes.
The receptionist said, “The doctor apologizes, but last year you were diagnosed with it.”
“I came here because my right eye has been blurry and I can’t read for long periods. Now you’re telling me I’m going blind in my left eye and I can’t see out of my right?”
My husband said, “Where is the manual for growing old?”
I knew he was trying to cheer me up, but it didn’t help. The doc’s assistant took pictures of my eyes, placed the dilation drops in them, and the air test. Soon the doc came in.
He showed me the pictures and said, “You have a mild case of Macular Degeneration. The type you have, most people do not suffer blindness from it. Nothing to worry about, still we need to keep tabs on it. Your vision isn’t that bad to change glasses. See you next year.” He rushed out of the room.
I felt relieved I wasn’t going blind, yet I felt outraged at the way things were handled. My husband tried to make an appointment for himself and was told they don’t do regular eye exams anymore.
I’ve included in the visual, the grid and information about the Macular above. The grid is used to see if you see straight or wavy lines to test the worsening of the Macular Degeneration.
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