Totally about me...

I know ya'll love to read updates and see pictures of my sweet little boy but this post is going to be completely about me.

It has become apparently clear over the last two weeks that something must be done about my terrible, terrible eyes.

Those of you that have known me for any length of time, know that I am blind as a bat.  I started wearing glasses at 6 and had to be put in contacts at 11 because my eyes were so bad.  I've been wearing contacts now for 15 years.  That's more than 50% of my life....not a lot of people can say that at 26.

My eye doctor, who has taken care of my eyes for 12 or more years, has told me for a few years now that contact lenses cannot be a lifelong fix for my eyes.  And glasses do not correct my vision completely.  I've shrugged it off...eye surgery is expensive, ya know?

Two weeks ago my eyes started getting red and hurting.  By that Friday they were really bad.  I couldn't even open my right eye in any kind of light.  I went to the doctor.  The blood vessels in my eyes were inflamed from lack of oxygen.  In the doctor's words, my eyes were "very angry."  You see, just like glasses lenses get thicker the higher the prescription, so do contact lenses.  When you are a minus 16 power, your contact lenses are pretty thick as far as contact lenses go.  The thicker the lenses, the more it restricts oxygen from getting to your eyes.  Factor in contact lens wear for 10+ hours a day, 365 days a year for 15 years and you have some very oxygen deprived eyes.

I spent a week in my glasses using 2 different kinds of eye drops seven times a day.  This past Friday I got the all clear to wear my contacts again with strict instructions to take them out if my eyes feel dry or itchy or tired.  (I'm wearing my glasses right now as I type this)
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I was also given the information to contact the surgeon at Alabama Vision Center.  With the strict  instructions to call..soon.  Dr. Shelleigh looked at me and said, "Don't let me see you back in here and make me be the one to tell you that you've damaged your eyes so bad that you need a cornea transplant."  Whoa. 

See, repeated oxygen-deprivation results in damage to your corneas.  Which is pretty much the part of your eye that allows you to see.  She said I got lucky this time.

I called the doctor as soon as I got out to my car.  I have an appointment at 1:00 tomorrow.

As scary as surgery sounds, if he wanted to do surgery on me next week, I think I would do it.  To be able to see again...I just can't imagine. 

When Gavin cries in the middle of the night, no fumbling around to find my glasses so I can go see what's wrong.

I could actually go swimming again.  I pretty much gave up swimming by the time I was a teenager for fear of losing a contact and not being able to see well enough without them to take them out.  I would love to be able to get in the pool with Gavin this summer and splash around with him!  And to play in the pool with him when he gets older.  Instead of sitting on the edge of the pool and watching.

I wouldn't have to worry about losing a contact in the shower (done that before....twice...).  Or dropping one when I'm trying to put them in and not being able to find it because I can't see it.

I could take a nap without Jason fussing at me about sleeping in my contacts.  (Yes, I know it's not good for me...but once I'm settled on the couch and decide to take a nap, who wants to get up and take your contacts out?  Totally ruins nap time!)

I don't mean to sound cheesy.  But this would be life-changing...

I'll let you know what the surgeon says tomorrow.  Then, I promise I will do a cute Gavin update post.  :)