The inside of my right eye

Working at VSP, and also wearing glasses for more than ten years, I understand the importance of healthy vision. (I’m not going to lie, either; I love getting new glasses and can never seem to have enough.) Last week when I got my yearly eye check-up, I had the option to get a digital image of my eye in lieu of a dilated exam. I have to admit, I was curious to see what the inside of my eye looked like…just what was my eye doctor (Dr. Nakamura of Natomas Optometry) looking at in there?

At first glance, I was a little concerned with the red dot in the middle and white blob off to the side, but Dr. Nakamura explained to me that the red dot was actually the macula and the white spot was the optic nerve—both were supposed to be there. The macula is responsible for seeing things in detail and our “central vision” (as in not peripheral vision) while the optic nerve is what carries the visual information to the brain.

I thought it was rather interesting to see my own eyes on the screen in front of me. What I liked most was how Dr. Nakamura could show me that my eyes were healthy by comparing my images to sample pictures with various eye or eye-related health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, and macular degeneration. I was happy to see my eyes didn’t have any of those problems.

P.S. I just got computer vision glasses for the first time, and I am really excited about them. See what I had to say about them.

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Doc Evans, Tyreke Evans’ brother, just had his annual eye exam by Dr. Ryan Nakamura at Natomas Optometry. Doc is a musician, and good vision is important to him. During his eye exam, he discovered he needed glasses for the first time ever and shared that experience with me after his exam.

Doc Evans ready for his eye exam

Doc, some people aren’t happy when they find out they need glasses for the first time. How did you feel and what advice would you offer someone in this position?
I think it’s natural for a person who has always had “perfect vision” to succumb to the fact their vision is getting worse. At least it was for me! Most of the time, as you age, your vision worsens. It’s just part of life. My advice would be to get an eye exam every year to be aware of your vision and eye health. If you do need glasses, you should definitely get them. If you avoid it, you’re limiting what you can see in life. There’s such a great variety of styles available now, that I was actually excited to hear I’d be able to pick out a really cool pair that fits my personality.

How will having glasses impact your work as a musician?
As an artist and producer, I need to be able to see the music from a digital standpoint, which includes placing each bar or verse within the song. Clear vision is important for me to be accurate in what I do.

How did the exam itself go?
My eye exam was fun! Dr. Nakamura was very knowledgeable and told me he was looking for signs of diabetes and high blood pressure — just by looking in my eye! I think that is amazing. It was fast and painless, and now I know my eyes are healthy. I love my new glasses and see so much better!

Doc Evans picking out glasses at Natomas Optometry

The post Team Tyreke Scores with Great Vision (part 4 of 4) appeared first on VSP Blog.

LaMont Peterson has been professional basketball player Tyreke Evans’ trainer since Tyreke was 13 years old. These guys spend a lot of time together training for games—indoors and out—and they both know that healthy eye sight is key to staying on the ball. They even go to the same VSP practice, Natomas Optometry. LaMont recently had his annual eye exam with Dr. Myra Lew and got a new pair of glasses with Transitions lenses. Transitions lenses darken and lighten automatically according to the surrounding light conditions. I chatted with LaMont afterward to see how his exam went and how he likes his new glasses.

LaMont wearing Joseph Abboud (JA160) with Transitions lenses

LaMont, I see you went with Transitions lenses. What made you choose Transitions over prescription sunglasses?
I like the convenience of not having to switch from glasses to sunglasses every time I go inside or outside. I guess prescription sunglasses would be nice too, but I really don’t want to have to carry two pairs of glasses around.

Picking out glasses at Natomas Optometry

The post Team Tyreke Scores with Great Vision (part 3 of 4) appeared first on VSP Blog.

Professional basketball player Tyreke Evans recently went in to see VSP provider Ryan Nakamura, O.D., at Natomas Optometry for his annual eye exam. I sat down with him afterwards to hear how it went.

The post Team Tyreke Scores with Great Vision (part 1 of 4) appeared first on VSP Blog.