Window into my soul

There are some cool perks to going to an optometrist friend, besides having complete confidence in his skills. His downtown office has all the latest high-tech equipment, and I get to ask all sorts of questions without feeling like I'm pestering him.

He doesn't charge me. I certainly didn't ask or hint at it; I wouldn't think of it. So I bring him little cakes or pastries as a token of appreciation.

He gives me free samples - disposable contact lens, eye drops, anything I might need.

And the coolest perk is that I have access to neat stuff, like pictures of my retina! Normally off limits to clients, my friend gave me a soft copy. This is the retina of my right eye. You can see the blood vessels in my eye, the bright spot where my optic nerve is located, and the dark area of my blind spot. The bright haloing around the optic nerve indicates retinal stretching - a result of myopia. Neat, eh? :)