The visual entertainment started on Wednesday when I thought there was a bug flying near my face. There was no bug, and thankfully there were no visual hallucinations either. Instead, I realized my left eye had developed a new feature! A string! Not in my eye like I could pull it out with a tissue or something; I mean INSIDE my eye, floating around just to the left of dead center. Now, when it's dark in the room, I can't really see it. But most of my waking hours are when it's light. Heavy sigh.
But wait! There's more!
Along with the string, I also have my own personal meteor shower happening. Little shooting stars leaving red trails, zipping upward instead of falling. When it's light, I can't really see them. But when it's dark, I've got a light show.
So either way, I can't really win. I called my primary on Thursday, who told me to go promptly to the optometrist. I got in to Pollack Eye Care today.
First they checked my glasses prescription, and then my eyes were numbed so my eye pressure could be assessed. That was followed by dilatating drops. Fun stuff. Sitting in that chair with the world’s brightest light shining into my eyeball was about as comfortable as staring into the sun, but at least I got answers.
The "string" is actually a floater, a tiny bit of collagen suspended in the vitreous. Apparently, they're a "natural part of the aging process," according to Dr. Pollack. They are especially common in people who are near-sighted. Which would be...drumroll please...me. They are harmless, but endlessly annoying.
The meteor shower, on the other hand, is more concerning. As we age, the vitreous can get sticky and tug on the retina, which causes those flashes and streaks of light. The real worry here is a retinal tear, which would look like a curtain coming down over my eye. If that happens, it's straight to the ER. And by the way, disposable sunglasses are available at the front desk.
Lovely.
Of course, I forgot the sunglasses, stepped outside, and IMMEDIATELY knew why sunglasses were offered.
All in all, it was definitely a learning experience. All things considered, though, I'd rather be playing Monopoly.
