Four weeks on … the 3rd of the trilogy!

In case you haven’t see the first two of this little trilogy about my eyes, they are at : Innovator or Guinea Pig ? and  The aftermath

So. At the weekend Mark drove us into town (into town on Orkney means into Kirkwall). And what a bright world it was … no glasses and things in focus. Quite far away things. Easy-to-read road signs. And the roads are steely blue-grey not just flat grey – I never realised that .

sunglasses And when we went into the shops, I could take my sunglasses off and thrust them on top of my head instead of having to change lensed ones for normal lensed glasses. It was all getting rather exciting. Well actually very exciting.

When we moved to Mill Cottage, as I stood in the garden, on a bright day WITH my glasses AND binoculars I could just see Brodgar and Maes Howe. But my eyesight had deteriorated in the three years since we have been here so that even with the spotting scope we bought I couldn’t see them. On Sunday I stood in the living room, and saw them both with my own, naked and unadorned eyes. No glasses. No binoculars. No spotting scope. Just my eyes.

I have worn glasses since I was three. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I could go without them. Mr C-B warned me when I first saw him not to expect too much. Well, I confess I hoped for improvement but I certainly never expected it to be like this. I no longer see life through a net curtain with my right eye. My left eye isn’t having to do all the work. I can see unaided. It’s an unreal sensation. I still feel very strange taking the reading glasses off and instead of the world dissolving into a blur it actually comes into focus.

So, a week on I went for a check up. And first off they do a very quick eye test. Stand on a line, and read off the letters on a notice at the end of the corridor. Without glasses before: top line only really, in VERY large letters. Without glasses now – all but the very bottom line with my left eye, so better than 20/20 vision and one up with the right, so 20/20 vision there.

The nurses were so happy for me – it was just lovely – they were as excited as I was!

And Mr C-B was really pleased. I am cleared to drive, but warned to take care as it will seem strange without glasses … I have to be a bit careful not to put my finger in my eye as I go to push non-existent glasses up for example! And I am a bit unsure of distances and relative speeds of oncoming traffic, but I am sure that is only a matter of getting used to it.

Mark says he is starting to get used to a spec-less me, though I am not – I walk past a mirror and wonder who it is ! I do actually wonder if it is my mother !!!

Especially as I can see me properly which is a bit of a shock to the system. Anyone know where I can get good facial Polyfilla ??

I have been told that I should not go to the hairdresser for 3 or 4 weeks which is a bit of a bummer as I was due an appointment to get rid of the grey and get it cut on the day of the operation. And no eye makeup either. So my hair is too long and has very grey roots and I really do feel rather naked and unadorned with neither glasses to hide behind nor eye make-up to enhance things a bit. But hey – it’s worth it. OMG is it worth it. So as we headed south for the pre-Christmas family visit I had to warn everyone that, despite the grey hair, the lack of makeup and glasses, it is still me.

Four weeks on and things are still changing, though. Colours – it’s like I have a new paintbox. Depth of vision – it seems there is a 3-D world out there. Who knew ?

A raptor flew over the car (Mark was driving !) … I could see the detail and the red colour of its feathers. Never seen that before. I can see birds perched on trees. And old nests in the branches.

I could bore on forever about it all, but I won’t. Next time will be to tell you about our trip south to see family and friends but I will try hard not to be an “eyesight bore”

PS and i have finished with the eye drops !!! HURRAH !