No more tears

Don’t you find that it’s often the little things in life that make the biggest difference? A couple of weeks ago I visited the optician for my routine eye appointment only to discover that the lupus (or rather the ‘Sjögren's syndrome’: the condition that often accompanies lupus, that attacks the glands that lubricate the eyes) has recently been affecting me to the point that he felt it may be too damaging for my eyes to continue wearing my contact lenses any longer. Now although this may seem like a very small sacrifice compared to some of the others that us loopies have to make to manage the lupus, I was especially downhearted by this one. I felt like ‘crying my last tears’ – literally!

I don’t wear my contacts everyday but like to have them for certain physical activities such as yoga classes and walking where glasses steam up and get in the way: but who am I kidding? In honesty I most appreciate them for purposes of vanity. Whilst I have a reasonably nice pair of specs which I am perfectly happy to sport during general day-to-day life, when I am getting dressed up to go on a date, meet up with friends or to go somewhere special, I can’t help but feel my glasses put a dampener on things. I find that occasionally feeling you can look your best, if only once in a while, helps lift the spirits no end.

So it was with great relief that on my return appointment this week after giving the contact lenses a rest for a of couple weeks and regular use of artificial tears prescribed by my GP (Carbomer Gel 0.2%), the optician has given me the go-ahead to wear my lenses, so long as it’s restricted to ‘high days and holidays’. I am happy with that.

And for those times in between, I intend to get straight onto the new ‘geek chic’ trend that’s going on right now, for which a pair of nerdy glasses are a definite must!