Optometrist visit and a vasovagal episode

I last saw the eye doctor just under two years ago. I wasn't having vision problems, but figured I needed to find a doctor in Atlanta and get my eyes checked. I researched optometrists that are in our insurance network and decided to make an appointment with Optique Atlanta. Their location is good and they are open on Saturdays. They also had good ratings at various websites. My appointment was yesterday morning.

After filling out the usual paperwork, I waited for minute or so before one of the ladies took me to the room to do the pretests. It was painless and over in a few minutes. I then waited for about five or ten minutes to be taken back to the doctor's exam room. He chatted with me about my eyes for a couple of minutes and then got to work. After the usual stuff, he asked about dialating my eyes. He recommended it since I hadn't had it done in the last few years. I agreed and he said first he was going to do the glaucoma test. He doesn't do the "puff test". The puff test is when they have you look at a light in a machine and then a quick puff of air is shot into your eye to check the pressure in your eye. My previous doctor had lots of trouble catching my eye open for this test. I was anticipating the puff and blinked very rapidly. I'm not sure that he ever got an accurate reading.

This doctor uses a different method for the glaucoma test. He puts a couple of numbing drops into each eye and then uses a device that's about the size of a writing pen with a rubber tip to touch each eye and check the pressure. It was completely painless and actually much quicker than the puff test. Within a few seconds of him putting the numbing drops in my eyes, I began to feel super anxious and knew what was coming. A vasovagal episode. This happens every time I have blood drawn, but it has never happened at the eye doctor. I was embarrassed but there was nothing I could do about it. Once it starts, it has to run it course. The doctor sensed that something wasn't right and asked if I was ok. I mentioned that I had just gotten very nauseous and didn't feel well. He said he's had a few patients who have had this reaction to the numbing drops. I don't think my body is reacting to the actual drop. I think it's more of a psychological reaction to them.

He very quickly (maybe two seconds) finished the test and got me to prop up my feet. He leaned the chair back and turned off the lights. He turned down the air and it got pretty cool in the room. After getting me some water, he said he would leave me in the room for a few minutes while it passed and would check on me then. I sat there for about five minutes and eventually calmed down. I never passed out, but I was close. My lips were numb, my hearing got muffled, and I was freezing. He returned and said that he didn't think dialating my eyes would be a good idea and I agreed. He said he's had people slide out of the chair and onto the floor at the foot of the chair after he dialated them. I didn't want to be that person. We finished up and I went out to pay. I was mortified. After about ten minutes, I began sweating profusely and I felt just awful. I spent a few minutes in the waiting room while the lady finished up the paperwork and that helped me get even better before I left. When I got to my car, I turned on the air to cool me down. After a minute or two, I was freezing again.

I took it easy for the rest of the day. I was ok, but I didn't feel 100%. On a positive note, my prescription appears to be nearly the same. He did find astigmatism, but said it was minor and he wouldn't recommend any corrective lenses for it. Woo hoo! On a another positive note, they no longer make the contacts I was wearing so I'm trying out a new brand. So far, they're great. I did not realize how much my last contacts didn't allow my eye to breathe. These feel like I'm not wearing anything. Naturally, these cost more. Not a lot, but more.

Georgia Power was doing some work across the street from our house, so we didn't have electricity when I got home. It wasn't too bad, but I ate in silence and in slight darkness. After I ate lunch and allowed some of the lunch traffic to die down, I headed to Lenox Cupcakes to treat myself and to buy a thank you treat for Dr. Moresi and his staff. Anyone who can deal with my freakish reactions to eye drops is great in my book and deserves a cupcake or two. I'll tell you about Lenox Cupcakes later.