Reminder: Get your eyes checked!!

[NeedleAndFork]

I've been putting off getting my eyes checked for the longest time even though I knew I needed it because I could tell that after about 14 years of wearing the same prescription my eyes had changed. I'm short sighted, meaning I wear my glasses to see distance, but I see just fine both with or without them when doing any close up work or reading. I tend to not wear my glasses when I'm at home, unless I'm watching TV, but I put them on any time I leave the house. I'd been noticing however over the last several months that I was taking my glasses off any time I had to read anything, and I absolutely could not wear them while working on my needlework. This had me getting really cranky.. could I finally be creeping towards that age where I might start to need reading glasses?

I finally sucked it up and went to get my eyes tested - I figured after nearly 15 years of wearing the same prescription since my eyesight stabilized in my early 20s, I may as well face facts that I wasn't a kid any more. During my eye exam I was talking to the Dr, and told him the reason that motivated me to come get my eyes tested was that I suspected reading glasses were in my near future if I wanted to keep up my needlework. I got a vague 'Don't jump to conclusions yet..' from him as he kept testing my eyes.. and finally gave me the verdict I least expected - my prescription that I'd been wearing was MUCH too strong for me! Somewhere in the last 2 years since my last eye exam my eyesight had managed to IMPROVE, which is why I was having trouble reading and stitching in my glasses!!

I've had my new prescription for a few weeks now and it took a while to get used to it, but now that I have I find that I can stitch just fine over 1 on 28 count while wearing them! This is such great news because I can watch TV again while stitching since I do need the glasses to see the TV across the room. And just overall my eyes get less tired since I'm wearing the correct prescription so I can stitch for longer. I am just thrilled though that my eyesight has improved. It is the last thing I was expecting!

So.. I just wanted to remind all of you who're putting off those eye exams - especially if you're in your mid/late 30s like me - it's not always bad news! The Dr said this was a fairly common occurrence for people my age with mild shortsightedness. And even if you do need stronger glasses, you'll be better off with them rather than straining your eyes. All us stitchers NEED our eyesight to see what we're doing.. it's best we take good care of it and keep our prescriptions up to date! Also, don't forget to mention to your eye doctor that you do a lot of close up needlework - when I mentioned it to mine, he took that into consideration as he did my eye exam.

[bookknurd]

That's good news! And good advice. As stitchers, we should be very aware of our eyes and their health. Enjoy your new stitching capabilities!

[Squirrel]

Great advice and yes eyes do improve at times with age. My distance glasses needed reducing when I hit the early 50's age which was a delight.

[mag327]

I have been in a similar boat. My distance prescription was so minimal and wearing them all the time I was getting headaches so I just basically stopped wearing them. It was a small prescription so I could see fine and actually it was only in one eye. But when I went for my annual exam, the doc said it was too strong and thus why I was struggling to wear them. Lowered it even more and basically gave me the ok to only wear when I need them (night, when I'm tired, etc).

The eye doc is one we all avoid, but why? All they can do is help and even if they suggest a prescription, we have the choice if we really don't want to. There's no pain involved so why do we all put it off?

[Mystonique]

LOL that's pretty terrific. I'd say well done!!!

[crosstitcher1]

I've been wearing glasses since 1978 when I failed my driving eye test at the age of 26. I'm 61 now and I have been going every 2 years since then, like the eye dr. said too.
I was wearing regular glasses til I hit 40 and was switched to bifocals. I haven't had any problems since.
I don't "dread" the eye dr. as much as I "dread/hate" the dentist. I can't "stand" that "chiseling" when doing the cleanings.


HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

[Fibreartist]

Man! I WISH I could do 28ct over 1 without my magnifying glass AND reading glasses. I am far sighted. Ever since I started wearing reading glasses my vision is getting WORSE! What a drag.
I'm glad for you that yours got BETTER.

[Serinde]

Funnily enough, I'm getting my eyes tested later today. Gotta look after these peepers!

[Solitaire]

I booked an appointment for few weeks ago but it's not until March 2014 that was the soonest one I could get

[stitchhappy18]

I can only wish that my eyesight would get better! Last year, at age 33, was the first time since I started wearing glasses (at age 7) that my vision did not get worse. I am thinking about starting to use a magnifier so as not to strain my eyes.