Eye Exams, Skipping the Diagnosis, and Defective Glasses
Last month, when I went to the optometrist for a routine eye exam, she noticed that my prescription changed drastically since my last visit. More specifically, the astigmatism in my right eye had gotten worse. So, she referred me to an ophthalmologist to get things checked out. The appointment seemed well and the doctor said that things looked fine, but I was sent in for a corneal scan anyway- just in case. Apparently, some issues can go undetected at the initial exam. So, I went in for the scan last week.
I got a call the other day to schedule a procedure on my eye. I technically haven’t even been given a formal diagnosis; they skipped over that and went straight to treatment. So, clearly, I don’t have any details beyond the name of this procedure and what I found on Google. I don’t know if my insurance covers it. I don’t really know how long I’ll need to take off from work (I’ve heard I won’t be allowed to drive for at LEAST a week). I’m not sure how urgent this procedure is or if there are other treatment options. My understanding is that this procedure is supposed to help stop the progression of my cornea bulging with the hopes of not dealing with worsening vision or a possible corneal transplant down the line.
I know that things with work are going to be fine, but going straight from a simple appointment to see if there’s a problem with my eye to scheduling a procedure without giving me a proper diagnosis or even discussing the procedure was a little annoying.
The other annoying thing about this potential procedure is that it means I can’t wear contacts. I know I won’t be able to wear them for a few weeks leading up to the procedure, and I won’t be able to wear them for a month or more after. It’s not a huge deal, but I just got new glasses and opted not to get the transition lenses because I figured I wouldn’t be wearing my glasses as often. Why spend the money on extra features when I’m going to wear contacts most of the time?
One of the common side-effects of this procedure is sensitivity to light, so transition lenses would really come in handy.
There’s also the potential for this procedure to change my prescription. I just spent a few hundred dollars on glasses and contacts. I’m already likely going to have to throw out a pair of contacts I only wore 3 times because I don’t know when I’ll be able to wear contacts again.
Of course, my prescription may be fine for a while. And there’s some possible hope for the transition lenses. The glittery trim on my glasses (that I bought less than a month ago) is starting to peel off. According to Reddit, this is a common enough issue that the user was able to pinpoint the exact brand and model. So, if I’m able to do an exchange, maybe I’ll see about upgrading to transition lenses. I’ll go ask about it tomorrow. (I’m really hoping I don’t have to pay for a full pair of glasses up front because I don’t want to deal with defective frames).
The Best Sandwich Ever
Ok, “Best Sandwich Ever” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m seriously obsessed with this sandwich. I’ve been eating it almost daily for the past week and a half. I had some leftover steak last week that I didn’t want to eat cold, but reheating steak is wrong, so I decided to make it into a sandwich.
I take a Damascus Bakery Whole Wheat Roll-up (from Costco) and spread it with Trader Joe’s Garlic Aioli Mustard. Then, to one half of the wrap, I add two slices of sharp cheddar cheese, sliced steak, and a handful of arugula. I fold it over and cook it in a frying pan or on the griddle until the edges are crispy and the cheese is melted.
It has anywhere from 50-60+ grams of protein depending on how much meat I use. Sure, it packs a decent calorie punch, but it’s so good that I wasn’t even mad that eating it meant giving up dessert the other night. I mean, how can I be mad at that much protein? It’s also good cold which is an added bonus.
Social Events and Weight Loss
I joined a small group at my church a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve really been enjoying the “normalcy.” However, it’s also made me realize that I haven’t really dealt with social gatherings while trying to lose weight in a long time. Between Covid and a little church hopping, I think the last time I went to some kind of potluck or party while in weight loss mode was back in 2018.
Sure, there were the Sunday lunches at the home church I attended for a while, but those were weekly, so they were part of my regular routine. Every party or special event I’ve been to in the past few years have been during times when weight loss was not the goal.
This Sunday is my small group’s “Thanksgiving” potluck. I’m still waiting on an email with details about whether or not there’s going to be a theme or what everyone is bringing (I may have to settle for picking something up at Costco after church on Sunday).
I’m also currently in weight loss mode. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how I’m going to handle this situation. Well, not entirely. I’ve already decided to move my weekly high calorie day from Saturday to Sunday so I have some extra calories to play around with. But will I track this event? Will I just take the event off from tracking, but eat normally the rest of the day? At this point, I still have social events surrounding food rarely enough that I don’t really need to worry too much about the occasional event/party like this.
Being nervous around social events when trying to lose weight is a new experience for me. Well, maybe not new as much as it is an old one that’s resurfaced. I used to be the person who used social events as an excuse to throw caution to the wind. Then, I got really good at enjoying myself while still staying on track with my goals.
But I’ve been out of practice for a while, and that, plus the rarity of the event, makes me a little tempted to just enjoy myself without tracking at all.
We’ll see what actually happens on Sunday.
Standard Time
The complaints on social media are starting to die down about this at last. “I hate Daylight Savings.”
It actually makes me roll my eyes a bit that people are complaining about the latest time change. Daylight Savings is over. We’re back in Standard Time.
And I get that people don’t like the 4pm sunsets, but I don’t mind them at all. In fact, I love being back in Standard Time and am 100% against permanent Daylight Savings. It doesn’t make sense to petition for 9am sunrises in winter just so we can have 8 or 9pm sunsets in the summer. Shouldn’t we want more light earlier in the day?
No matter what we do, we’re still going to have more sunlight in the summer than the winter. Getting a little extra light earlier in the morning in the winter and having darkness come earlier in the summer seems to be the smarter choice (at least based on what I know about sleep and circadian rhythm.) I mean, 4:30am sunrises in June may be a bit much, but there’s going to be pros and cons no matter what you do, and at least we’d be getting sunshine earlier in the day when we probably need it most.
Not Enough Hours in the Morning
Lately, it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to do- especially on work days. Now, I’m not complaining about my job at all. It’s not my dream job, but my employers are fantastic. However, on days I work, I’m there for around 10 hours a day. Add in a 30-45 minute commute each way, and if I want to get a full 8 hours of sleep, I have about 4 hours to myself outside of work.
I’m feeling overwhelmed. There are so many things I want to do in the mornings that I just don’t have time to do: Bible study, journaling, a morning walk. I feel so rushed with my Bible reading and studying that I struggle to focus and retain anything. Does it even count if I’m just going through the motions and not retaining anything?
And more often than not, lately, in order to check off things from my to-do list like a 30-minute walk and answering the questions for the day in my Bible study, I’ve skipped my morning skincare routine and shower. (And I haven’t been making up for it at night either. With my mom working nights and getting ready for work around the same time I’m trying to get ready for bed, it’s often a choice between getting to bed early or washing my face. I’ve been picking sleep).
Now, I will admit that I need to get better about not scrolling my phone in the morning, but even with cutting that out, it feels like there’s not enough time to do everything. I don’t even think I’m asking for too much, but trying to do it all in such a short window of time feels impossible.
I’m not sure what to do anymore. I’ve gotten the advice to cut things out, but there’s only so much I can cut out and stay somewhat sane. Cutting Bible study and exercise doesn’t really seem like an option. (It’s not like I’m doing a full 90 minute lifting session. I’m just walking for 30-minutes). Unfortunately, neglecting personal hygiene isn’t really working for me either. I’m also trying to avoid losing sleep by getting up earlier. Some days, I get to bed as early as I can without sacrificing everything and I’m still not hitting 8 hours a night.
And moving everything to the evenings just means getting to bed later which doesn’t help me either.
It’s a little easier on the days I don’t work. I get to sleep in a little and I usually have more time and flexibility. But those work days are a challenge, and I’m feeling very overwhelmed by it right now- to the point where I’m about ready to abandon my morning routine entirely.