24 Hours of Eye Dilation

Those are some dilated eyes.....and this was just 20 minutes after the dilation!  As most of you know from the last post, I had to have my eyes dilated this past Friday.  As we headed to the eye doctor, #3 fell asleep....so Hubby stayed in the car with #1 and #3 (#2 was with a friend).  I told Hubby that I would text him when I was going back so he could come in the waiting room.  I wasn't really thinking I needed someone to walk me out...but I knew I wasn't going to be able to drive.  

I walked into this place and every chair....EVERY chair....has been taken.  I walk to the desk.....

Me:  I have a 5pm appointment.

Lady:  You do?

Me:  Yes.

Lady:  What time?

Me:  5pm.

Lady:  Let me see if I've got your paperwork from the other office.

Me:  Okay....will you please make sure that they sent the prescription from the last exam?

Lady:  I have nothing. 

Me:  Nothing?

Lady:  Not even your paperwork...are you sure you have an appointment at 5pm?

Me:  Do you have me on the schedule?

Lady:  Let me see....yes...at 5pm.

......I mean, seriously?!!??!  After all of this, she finds the paperwork, the prescription and confirms my appointment.  I am now told to have a seat.  Well, there is no seat so I just stand around.  As one family leaves, I go to their seats and there is liquid on the seats....on the back of the seats.   Please don't make me sit in this waiting room much longer....what am I thinking?  Please don't make me STAND in this waiting room any longer.  

A few minutes later, I was called back to read the board of letters...with and without my glasses.  Then this lady put a drop of something in both eyes and then got another bottle and put a drop of that in both eyes.  She then tells me to sit in this dark room.  

Well, the room isn't really dark.  It's more like a room off of the hallway, but with no door.  The hallway lights are still on, but the room lights are set on dim.  As I'm sitting here, my eyes are getting a tad bit blurry and I'm trying to text Hubby to let him know that my eyes are getting blurry.  I don't see a huge difference in my vision because I have my glasses off, but I know that things are looking a little bit different.  

And then this lady sits beside me.  Yes, I'm fortunate enough to have a chair between us (cuz you know I still like my bubble), but it's still a little close.  This lady has got a toothpick hanging out of her mouth which doesn't really bother me, but trust me, it's part of this story.  As we're sitting there in complete silence, I hear "pppthhhhhhhk".  I hear this over and over.  I know the sound is coming from my left, but I'm sure it's one of those eye machines by the wall.  This sound gets louder and louder and the sound gets more annoying.  I finally look over to the left and it's the lady picking her teeth with that toothpick.  I see the spit coming from her mouth, the stuff coming out of her teeth, the heavy breathing of her working on her gums.  As I'm sitting there, I feel the blurriness getting worse and the room is getting hot.  I feel that I'm getting claustrophobic in this room....even with there being no door.  At this point, I can't see my phone, I can't see the clock and I can't make out what the lady looks like....but I can hear her.  Oh my goodness, I can hear her.  

I hear footsteps....

Lady:  I've been waiting here for way too long.

Doctor:  Kelley, let me check her eyes real quick.

Me:  YES!!!!  Take her!  Take her away!!!!  She can go first!!!!!

.....I have no clue what their faces looked like, but I could feel the relief throughout my body.  I sat in silence for the next five minutes.  Silence.  

The rest of the night wasn't nearly exciting.  We went to dinner and Hubby and the #s kept reading the menu to me...and loudly.  I finally told Hubby that he needs to keep it down because people are going to think I can't read.  

Waitress:  What would you like to eat?

Me:  Fresh Fruit Sampler

Waitress:  (friendly and loudly) Well, it's really called....

Me:  My eyes are dilated and I can't read the menu.  

I did wake up Saturday and my eyes were still dilated, so I decided to call the doctor....

Me:  How long is the dilation supposed to last?

Office:  A couple of hours.

Me:  I had my eyes dilated yesterday and they are still blurry.

Office:  What time did you have them dilated?

Me:  5pm.

Office:  OH!  Hold on just a moment and let me talk to the doctor.......yes, the doctor said have someone shine a light in your eyes.  If your eyes contract, the dilation is wearing off.

Me:  And if they don't contract?

Office:  Then it isn't wearing off yet and you have a couple more hours left.

....and no, they didn't contract.  In fact, the dilation didn't completely wear off until around 5pm Saturday.  That's a full 12 hours of blurry eyes.  That's 12 hours of the sun making it feel like it's trying to scratch my eyes out.  Needless to say, it was a blurry 24 hours in our life by numbers.