Practically, Technically, Legally - Blind

Lesson for today: Don't have bad vision

It's okay because I have horrible vision. No really. You're probably thinking, "how bad can it be? Like a minus 4? At most??". I'm literally LMAO over here because I was at that in like second grade and would almost do anything to be at that vision sight now. The ginormous E on the opposite wall of the examining chair at the optometrist's office - what big E? I can't see it without my correction lenses. I can't even locate it on the wall shoo! Ladies and gentleman, my vision is... *drumroll please* ...a minus 10.75. Gasp away because I told you it was bad! Legally, I'm considered blind. Oh, and I also have astigmatism.

I started wearing glasses in first grade when I realized I couldn't read the word on the TV screen during a basal ball tournament so I borrowed my dad's glasses and wow! the words were crisp and clear and I was reading like a champ! Remember these bad boys?

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Imagine being a first grader holding up glasses twice as big as your head while you run around bases and read challenging words. Talk about looking like a nerd! So embarassing right! By the time I was in third grade, my vision had worsened four fold and the optometrist put me in rigid gas permeable lenses aka hard contacts in hopes of slowing down my deteriorating vision. By then, my glasses were already about a fourth of an inch thick. My vision continued to worsen until I was in college when it plateued at -11.50. Feel free to gasp again while you try to (or can't) come to terms with that number associated with vision. And for a visual, here's how thick my glasses currently are.

They're about half an inch thick and that's

with the featherweight lenses where they

shave it down to make it look thinner!!

Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for lasik because I don't have enough cornea for them to burn off, therefore, I'm stuck with permanent horrible vision. It's okay, I've come to terms with my handicap at a very young age. Science and technology is always advancing, but the latest development for people like me is an implantable contact lens (ICL). They put the correction lense between your iris and natural lens and ta da! no more contacts and glasses! I'm still skeptical of this procedure and am patiently waiting for the next big development.

Sorry about the debbie downer history about me vision, but I found out yesterday that I have a tear in my cornea which results in a twice daily application of eye neosporin (polysporin opthalmic ointment) that blurs the holy crap out of my vision and I'm confind to my glasses! Envision swimming in a super chlorinated pool for hours and when you finally get out, your vision is super blurry right? Now blurry that up until you can't identify shapes or colors and that's what the ointment does. I already have bad vision, I don't need additional assistance okay! Sheesh! Any way, the only time I wear glasses is when I take out my contacts at night and go to bed. So one whole week of nothing but glasses? Oh man! Drama much? NO! Plus, it's my vision and I can cry if I want to! Re-training my eyes to utilize glasses to correct my vision has given me horrible headaches, extremely tired eyes, and my depth perception is all wonky! Can't wait for next Tuesday to be here already!

Have you ever been restricted from something super important to you (like when you broke an arm or leg)? How did you pass the time until recovery???