Droopy Eyelids

You know how you have never noticed something until someone points it out to you – and then it stands out like a sore thumb from then on - well that was me a little while ago.  

I had a reminder again on my last visit to the optician.  I had put it off for a few years but now I needed to really look at it and address the issue. 

I just hadn’t noticed over the years but my eyelids, my right one especially, were getting lower over my eyes.  When you see yourself in the mirror daily you just don’t notice these things but she asked me to look through some old photos to see what my eyes used to look like compared to now. 

Well that was quite hard because I am not very photogenic and hate having my photo taken, plus we are not the type of people who take many photos of anything at all, so the only photos really were holiday photos or the odd Christmas one.  

Holiday photos were mainly useless as I was wearing sunglasses or squinting with the bright sunshine.  But I did find some old ones to compare and no my eyelids didn’t used to be so low.

What came as the big jolt though is when she asked me if people kept saying I looked tired or sleepy!  

I can honestly say that it had only happened a few times (when I have actually been tired) but then most people are too polite to say and even friends just think you really are tired (because apparently it gets worse later in the day).  

Also I suppose friends see me so often that they wouldn’t have noticed the gradual change either. 

So I suddenly realised that people may think I am being a bit rude and not listening to them properly, or bored, when really I am feeling perfectly normal.  I don’t want to appear half asleep in conversations as if I am bored. 

So now every time I look in the mirror I do realise how far down the eyelid does come down over my pupil and does seem droopy.

How had I not noticed it all these years?  Mainly I suppose because I only really look at my eyes to put make-up on so that is what I am concentrating on rather than where the lid is on my eye. 

I do know I blink a lot more than a lot of people – I have noticed that.  Not that it is relevant, apart from the fact that I thought the pain of blinking after the operation will be more often!

Anyway my optician has recommended this eyelid surgery – not the top bit where older people get saggy lids but the part of the eyelid below the crease (where the eyeshadow normally goes).  

I haven’t got particularly big eyelids anyway so I am sure that by the time they shorten the muscles the upper part of my eyelid above the crease will be resting on my eyelashes! 

Although I don’t have baggy eyelids top or bottom (or thankfully wrinkles yet apart from a few laughter lines round my eyes and mouth when I smile) but I am concerned that I don’t want that startled look that people who have the baggy  top upper eyelid surgery sometimes end up with.

I have to see the consultant on Friday to see what he says this time.  I saw him three years ago and he was willing to do the surgery then but said it was 50/50 whether I really needed it so I could either have it done then or wait for a few years as it was just 50% over my pupil.  I didn’t fancy the surgery as it wasn’t actually necessary as a medical problem, just an eyesight improvement, so I waited.  

Well it seems that the few years has got to the point that I ought to have it done as it is now more than 50% over my pupil and is apparently affecting my vision as far as the light going into my pupil is concerned.

So I shall see what he says on Friday and if he thinks I ought to have it done then I guess I will have to, as it will be best for my eyesight.  I am not looking forward to it though!