I Got My First Eye Exam in Over 10 Years and Things Are About to Change For Me

I got the news that I expected after getting an eye exam this week, but now I have to learn to do things differently than I have all my life. 

Last summer I noticed for the first time that I had to move my phone back and forth to be able to find the right spot where I could read it. That's when I realized that a lifetime of having excellent vision was probably coming to an end.

I scheduled an eye exam with an optometrist who gave me the full battery of tests including pupil dilation. That's a pretty trippy thing.  You sit and wait for your pupils to open up wide until every light source turns into a bright, burning star. Then the doctor shines an even brighter light in your eyes to check you out. Not fun.

I also had the puff of air blown into each eye. The first one was disturbing, but after that it wasn't so bad. The dilation was much worse.

The good news is my eyes are healthy and I got to keep my very own pair of paper sunglasses. The bad news is I have trouble seeing things like I used too up close and far away. The optometrist said I can get along fine, but corrective lenses will make things more comfortable for me.

So $400+ dollars later I have a pair of progressive lenses on the way. I can't do contacts. Everyone says it's easy, but I don't even like putting in eyedrops, much less touching my eye with my finger. The idea of popping them in and out each day and investing in gallons worth of saline doesn't sit well with me either.

My glasses will be ready in a week or so and I'll wear them full time. It'll take some getting used to, but I'll be happy to be able to read the fine print and the road signs off in the distance. Now I just need to make sure I don't lose them, drop them, sit on them or snap them in two. Simple right?

Do you wear glasses? What's one thing I should know about them that will make wearing them easier? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.