I thought I was having some sort of enlightenment experience the other week when I saw all the meteors out of the corner of my eye. But when, a few days later, I couldn't wipe the smudge off my glasses and realized, it was on my eye, my little saga began.

from Chien Anadalou by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali

The story is tedious and complicated so I'll give you the short version: three doctors, many dilations and a lot of lights beamed through my pupils later, I'm one of every twenty-five people over fifty who has a torn retina. The good news is, I've survived laser surgery to tack it down so this tear doesn't lead to a 'separated retina'. The thought of laser surgery on my eyes had struck terror in my soul but, having gone through it yesterday, I can tell you that it's intense but not a cause for terror.

FYI, here's what I've learned might be signs of a problem with a retina: flashing lights, a lot of 'floaters' or, most serious of all, a dense dark shadow in your field of vision. If you see a dense dark shadow, get to a retina specialist on the double. It could mean the beginning of a retina separation which, if caught quickly, can be reattached without a loss of vision.

I've been giving my eyes a break from the computer so am way behind with social media, etc. But I'll be back soon, a little humbled but very grateful for modern medicine and these good eyes.