Doctor My Eyes

Obviously, my visual health is very important to my photographic aspirations. Since I don’t have a family doctor at the moment, perhaps I shouldn’t be the one to write about the importance of regular check-ups. Nonetheless, I need to tell this story.

A few weeks ago, I had an eye exam with my optometrist; for the most part, it went as it normally does. However, she expressed a bit of concern with the results of my vision field test. (For this test, you stare straight ahead at a light and push a button when you see other lights blink.) Instead of sweeping this relatively minor issue (so I thought) under the rug, she took a cautious approach and scheduled an appointment for me to see an opthamologist. That appointment happened this morning at Mount Sinai Hospital in downtown Toronto.

After a few tests, including one more vision field test, the opthamologist gave me news which I wasn’t expecting: “You’re a glaucoma suspect.” This in itself does not mean that I have glaucoma, but the tests which were done this morning weren’t enough for him to properly diagnose me. He instructed me to see my optometrist in two months, then see him again in six months.

Glaucoma or otherwise, I’m glad that this issue was detected before it could rob me of one of my greatest pleasures and, perhaps, a lot of other ones...