Today’s Big Thing was an eye appointment. I haven’t gone since 2013 and my eyes were giving me headaches. The past two times I’ve gone I’ve asked about getting bifocals but Dr. Bateman would say, “They’re just not that bad yet.” Well, finally they are. I look forward to my new progressive lenses giving me a different kind of headache.
The whole process had become more robotic since my last visit, and I’m glad Brad went along to take some photos. There were four machines to play with to avoid having my eyes dilated. They were not covered by insurance, but it was time throw money and caution to the wind. I played the ‘wear an eyepatch and click the button every time you see a pinpoint of light’ game, the ‘look at a plus sign while Tron graphics strobe across the screen’ game, the ‘press your face into this weird pillow while we shine a laser in your eye’ game (which later showed me my eyeball like it was the Death Star), and the ‘look at this hot air balloon while we figure out your prescription’ game.
Dr. Bateman was very nice. He explained things in layman’s terms and appreciated my description of that one machine using Tron references. He agreed that I needed a new prescription and that readers would be incorporated into them. Then he looked at my eyeballs up close and told me that one was dry and scaly, like my hands. He gave me some free eye lotion for it.
Ouch.
Deborah says
Good call on the extra $ for no eye dilation. I treat myself to that, too.
Deborah says
Also, did Dr. Bateman have colorful socks on? He has when I’ve been there.
Lauren says
He did, but I only noticed them when I wasn’t wearing my glasses. They were dark with colorful spots on them. I wish I would have looked when I could see them clearly.
Kristi says
Eye lotion? That sounds strange.
I finally went to the eye doctor this spring. It had been too many years since I’d last visited. However, I still had to get my eyes dilated. Blah.
Lauren says
They are just eye drops. 🙂
Speaking of rough eyes, I told Dr. Bateman that years and years ago when I wore contacts I was terrible about cleaning them. When I went to the eye doctor then he said that I needed to take a break and wear glasses for a while to let my cornea heal. “It looks like someone took a pin to your eye and poked you dozens of times.” I switched to glasses, then started to teach preschool. Whenever I’d take my glasses off the kids would say, “You look funny.” Laziness won and I never went back to contacts.
Brad says
I like how he explained everything. He was easy to understand.
Rachel says
We like Dr. Bateman. When I saw the top picture, I thought to myself… “I wonder what DR she goes to, I think that looks like our dr.” I think I recognize him from that view bc I am always there with Anna for her visit. That is how I see him most often!