Are your pupils the same size?

 

I am just going to say it straight out, I hate going to the eye doctor.  I would rather have a pap smear than get my eyes checked.  Crazy but true.  On Monday, I realized that I only had 3 days of my contacts left and from past experience I know you need a prescription and past the one year mark they won’t give you anymore.  Every year I try to find a way of getting more contacts without getting the eye exam, but I have yet to find a way around the system.

With Lou’s new job came new insurance so I knew I couldn’t go back to Kaiser where all my records were, so I decided to try LensCrafters.  Since I only had one day to get a new prescription I figured it was my best bet.  I made an appointment online, love the convenience and since today was Lou’s day off, I had a built in babysitter and was good to go.

Once I checked in, I started getting nervous while I was waiting.  The lady finally called me back and started me on the first machine.  Oh how I hate resting my forward against that machine and trying to guess which letter on which line I can read the best.  After the first three tests she offered to do the test that isn’t covered by any insurance and is $40 extra.  I had that test last year and everything is always OK, so I declined.  She led me back to meet with the doctor and as I was talking to her she was looking at me kinda funny.  She then said.  “has anyone every told you your pupils are different sizes?”  “No.”  “Hummm,  let me check them right now, and measure them.  They are obviously different sizes.  Did you pay for the extra test to check the health of your pupil?”

” No, I did not, I didn’t think I needed it.” I replied.  I instantly thought she was trying to up-sell me the test and I was so not going for that.  She was really nice but I was suspicious of her motives.  Well after a few minutes of her checking my pupils with the lights on and then off and writing down the sizes she excused herself from the room.  When she came back, she had the other optometrist with her.  She then asked the other optometrist to look at the size of my pupils.  She said they were different sizes too and started asking me about pictures of myself and had I ever noticed this before.  Humm, because of my experience with Tiara I suddenly knew this wasn’t an up-sell, but a potential problem.  They were really stressing me out and I finally said “give me the extra test, I’ll do it right now.”  She then told me she thought that was a good idea, but nevertheless. she felt compelled to refer me to a neurologist.

WHAT?  “Yes, different size pupils are very normal if you are born with them, but if they develop later on, they can be a sign of a neurological problem.”  Oh, great.  Now I was beyond stressed and starting to panic.  After we finished the rest of the exam and she led me back to take the other test she said, “Ok, this test will let us know if the problem is so serious you need to go to a doctor today or you can wait.!”  Holy crap, is this a joke, I thought to myself. 

Well, the test came back fine, but my pupils were still different sizes and I still need to see the neurologist.  As she was checking me out, she called the opthamologist they referred difficult eye issues to and asked him to recommended 2 neurologists.  She wrote down their phone numbers was rather insistent I call right away and make an appointment.  She said she would be checking on me in 2 weeks.  Oh great.  I got home and told Lou and he looked like I knocked the wind out of him and instantly started threatening me there better not be anything wrong with me. 

I called the neurologist whose name I recognized and wasn’t surprised when the first available appointment wasn’t until October 24.  Ha, Ha.  I then called my friend who is an ER doctor and am waiting for him to call me back and give me his assessment as to whether he thinks I should be concerned.  I have had a splitting headache for 2 days which was already stressing me out but now based on my Google/Medlineplus medical research I either have a brain tumor or a migraine.  I am going to assume it is the latter and I am fine or at least pretend I am fine until my doctor friend tells me to worry.  

Plus since the appointment I feel like the difference between the two pupils has gotten less noticeable.  Lou has been following me around staring at my eyes all afternoon and he thinks it was probably stress.  We get totally weird stuff in my family.

My readers tell me everyday “God only gives you what you can handle” and guess what, Big Tiff  can’t handle a brain tumor or any type of illness which limits her ability to care for my family.  So, I am going with the assumption it is nothing until some tells me otherwise.

Off to drink my wine and take more Advil.

Have a great day!!!