Lifestyle, food and drink, and our family life and travel adventures.
When I was around 27, I happened to mention to my sister that the menu on our TV menu had gone blurry. I hadn’t really thought much of it, but she asked if I’d had an eye test recently and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought that it could be my eyes that were the problem and not the television!
Lo and behold, I had to get glasses, and I could read the TV menu again and see what was on.
Over the years, as I’ve got older, my eyes have got worse, and I’ve needed a stronger prescription, and now I even have to get the lenses thinned so that they’re not really thick and stick out of the frame!
I’ve also worn contact lenses for years too, but I only wear them very rarely now as my eyes get so tired and dry when I do, and I just can’t be bothered — it’s a faff putting them in and especially taking them out at the end of the day, particularly when I can’t grab hold of it and I have to spend ten minutes poking at my eye trying to work out if it’s still in there or if I’m just grabbing at my eyeball and making it sorer and sorer.
I don’t like that I have to wear glasses all the time, though. I’m totally used to always wearing them, and I don’t mind day-to-day, but I would still prefer not to have to, especially if I’m doing something nice or going out in the evening.
It’s also annoying when I go swimming; you’re not supposed to wear contacts in the swimming pool because there’s a risk of infection, and I hate everything being really blurry, so I have to wear my glasses — it’s not a huge deal, but it’s a bit annoying.
It also annoys me that I can’t just choose sunglasses that I like — I have to get prescription ones, which limits the choice available and makes them much more expensive. Or I have to wear contact lenses with them, in which case I need to have my non-prescription ones with me. It’s a faff.
Over the years, I’ve often thought about having laser eye surgery and how amazing it would be to be able to see clearly without glasses or contact lenses. So, I thought I would share the ways in which laser eye surgery would change my life!
No more glasses-wearing would be amazing! I’d feel more like myself and not hiding behind my glasses every day and covering my face up (which would be daunting at first); I wouldn’t have to wear them in the swimming pool and deal with splashes on them.
I wouldn’t have to worry about them breaking (especially the thought of them breaking whilst I’m away somewhere, not being able to get them fixed, and not being able to see for the rest of my trip!).
I would no longer have to have a contact lens subscription, and I wouldn’t have to stick my finger in my eyes when I wear them. There would be no more dry eyes from wearing contacts and no more trying to find the damn things in my eye or on the floor!
When I go away anywhere, I have to wear my glasses, take an old spare pair in a chunky case (see aforementioned worry about my glasses breaking and not being able to see), take my prescription sunglasses if I think I’ll need them and enough individual contact lenses if I want to feel nice whilst I’m away. I used to use monthly contacts rather than daily, so back then, I had to take a big bottle of solution, too.
It would save me so much space if I didn’t have to pack all of this stuff when I travel, giving me more room for clothes and skincare!
It would be amazing to open my eyes in the morning without fumbling for my glasses, knocking them onto the floor and feeling around for them (yes, I’m quite blind) whilst being annoyed that I’ve had to wake up (which I am every morning).
I could actually see where I’m putting my make-up, rather than having to get really close to the mirror to stop my face from being blurry. Repeat this for reaching products in the shower so that I don’t accidentally put shampoo on my face.
Actually quite a lot, too. I have the monthly contact lens subscription cost, which isn’t particularly cheap. Then, the cost of new glasses, which are usually over a hundred pounds each time I want new glasses or my subscription changes (which it does most times I have an eye test). Plus, I now have to pay extra to have the lenses thinned, as well as choosing to get the coating that makes them less reflective because I struggle to drive in the dark because of the car lights bouncing off my glasses.
Then, if I ever want to wear sunglasses, I have to buy those for my prescription, too.
At my opticians, I get a discount on my glasses due to the contact lens subscription, as well as free eye tests and contact lens checks. So, if I didn’t get contact lenses, I’d have to pay even more for all of them!
Laser eye surgery is something I will really consider in the future, as I really think it would make a big difference to my life.
As with any kind of procedure like this, it’s so important to go with a reputable provider so make sure you do plenty of research before you commit to anything.
In collaboration with St Paul’s Laser Vision.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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