New Glasses Februay 2008

February 16, 2008

Dear friends and family,

How nice it is to have new glasses coming in about a week. I had my annual exam at Eye Care Associates a few days ago and my eyes have changed. This happens as you get old unfortunately.

I am one that is fortunate to have health care insurance that comes most of all my exam and $140.00 on a new pair of glasses and rims every other year. Unfortunately my taste and needs out run the basic price for glass as I have found the the Easy Flex or Flexon to be more comfortable and other features.

I currently have a pair of Easy Flex and they have been great! They are highly flexable and you can 'twist' them or roll over on them and they recover their shape and fit. My eyes checked out OK with all the computer photos looking at my eye health all were good.

I had some high pressure problems about 2 years ago but they never found out just why? This puts you at risk for glacoma so they have checked me about every 4 months to see how I was doing. After the first time with elevated pressure, each test afterwards showed lower pressure and this time it was 14 in both eyes where it was as high as close to 30.

The best news was when they checked my periferal vision, it had actually improved in the areas the high pressure had apparently caused some early lack of sensitivity. The test is putting you in a darkened room and viewing into a darkened tunnel and the computer measures different areas of your vision and whether you can see the tiny dots as they appear in test. Each eye showed improvement compared to the prior tests taken over the last 2 years. Good news!

They had to order the type of frames I choose and they came in Friday. Karen had an appointment that morning at 9:00, so she was there to approve my choice. She too chose a pair of Flexon which had to be ordered, and they too have the same features as my Easy Flex I chose.

So Karen and I will both be in new glasses, new rims, and one's with newer improved features over our current pair. Both of us chose now either a muted silver or gray rim color to more match the change in our hair color. We both have to have bifocals and mine are just a smidge large with 2mm height and 3mm width, increasing my peripheral vision.

We have a new pay plan this year called Flex Pay which is a debit card for all our co-pay on glasses, doctor visits and even a hospital stay when necessary. We looked at the last two years medical expenses and now have a monthly deduction prepaying our expected medical expenses. A nice feature now in controlling your health care cost. We will let you know how this works out as this is our first year in using this with Blue Cross of Alabama.

Hope this note finds everyone well and thinking of you always. Our Nutter, Northcutt, and Baucom extended families are just great and we take care of each other staying in touch and getting together from time to time.

Have a blessed day and weekend and if so moved, leave a comment on my post and feel free to add your comments or a new stories and of course, photos.

Yours for now,

Jeff the Knutt in good old Birmingham, Al USA (the best kept secret in the S/E United States).