Am I a medical miracle? I can see (properly) again!

[aloha]

Went to have an eye test today. Been wearing glasses/contacts for more than 15 years. A few years ago my contacts started to make my vision worse, not better, and I could see the telly OK so I stopped wearing them. Never got round to having an eye test. Felt horribly guilty for driving without contacts or glasses yet felt I could see OK. Well, this morning I totally astonished the optician because my eyesight is, he says, perfect. 20-20 or better!
Has anyone else had this happen to them? Or will it deteriorate again?

Were you short sighted?

My eyes improve everytime Igo to the opticians now

(am now within the legal limit for driving although not yet 20-20!!)

yes, short sighted. I was so scared he's say I was even more short sighted and when I got new contacts I'd see myself in the mirror and faint with horror

Shortsightedness can correct itself with age.

If you have a tendency to long-sightedness however, you may well end up needing glasses.

It sounds like it is part of the ageing process aloha.

i thought it was long sightedness that corrected itself and shor sightedness got worse?

I have an inherited tendency to longsightedness from dad and he started having to wear glasses at about the age I am now, having had 20/20 in his youth, Fio. So I think I got the message right from him...but maybe not. Does anyone know this for sure? (Are you still on for stitchin and bitchin at Alexandra Palace on the afternoon of the 14th by the way)

My eyes (long-sighted, astigmatic, but mild) needed glasses in pregnancy but have sorted themselves out, more or less, since. Apparently that's quite common too - increased blood flow in pregnancy can distort your lenses. Weird, huh.

Well, binkie.
Anything you need to tell us aloha?

I would agree with Marina, you've probably reached the point where people who haven't so far worn glasses start to need them, so the two problems have cancelled each other out, kind of thing. Unless she's right and you're pregnant again already, of course

we all get longer-sighted as we get older, which is why older people tend to need reading glasses even if they have had perfect vision up to that point. My short sight is hanging on and I can't wait to see a bit further!

ah, the authoritative voice of science. Fio nearly made me doubt my daddy knew everything after 42 years thank you tamum!

and ediemay. Must get my eyes tested. Wonder if too much Mumsnetting is a contributory factor.

Ahem, I am not exactly authoritative on matters of eyesight, but I do think you're right

But you are a scientist. And fluff-brained arts graduates like me assume you know all about every aspect of medicine and the human body
and knitting

my friend has just bought fantastic Vivienne Westwood specs, am sooooooo jealous

Ah well, knitting....

Marina, I'm an arts grad too and verrrrrrry fluff-brained (and short-sighted)

I'm pretty shortsighted and I asked the optician about this very thing recently. She said my shortsightedness is likely to improve significantly but I will probably end up needing glasses for reading. You can be both long and shortsighted, hence the need for bifocals.

I am going to knit my own brain for National Knitting Week, it has got to be better than the sad apology currently in residence

Argh flashingnose that is NOT good news!

Well, quite. I thought I might end up being glasses free, but no, apparently not.

SO not pregnant! Chance would be a fine thing with dd deciding to wake up during the night again.

No VBA2C on the horizon then?

So I can look forward to waking up soon with perfect vision? Excellent! My short-sightedness has been getting worse and worse since I was about 6. I've noticed recently that I'm doing that long-sighted thing of holding things further away to see them. How old are you aloha? How long do I have to wait ?

I did once wake up in the morning with perfect vision - it was when I was a student and I opened my eyes to the crystal clear vision of loveliness that is Robert Smith (only the poster, not the real deal) on my opposite wall. Normally he was just a fuzzy black blur. I lay there for a few minutes thinking "it's a miracle, my sight has been restored to me!" Then I realised I'd just had too many snakebite and blacks the previous night and forgotten to take my contact lenses out.

Pmsl @ knitting a new brain, Marina - can you make one for me too?