If you find any misspelled words in this column, bear with me; I'm having trouble seeing the screen, because my eyes are dilated. Everything around me is sparkly and brightly colored, but none of it is too clear.

It had been a couple of years since my last eye appointment, and I knew I needed new glasses. My no-line bifocals are scratched up, and I was scared that my prescription had changed a little bit. I frequently take my bifocals off when reading or working on the computer

I've wanted to get my eyes checked for several months now, but I waited until after the first of the year to make an appointment so that I could pay for my new glasses with my health savings account, which resets on January 1.

Our health insurance at the paper was changed last year to cover one eye exam per year -- but only through a preferred provider. So I started looking for preferred providers, and unfortunately that took me out of town. But in calling around trying to make an appointment, I got conflicting information about this coverage. It's not a vision plan per se; it's a benefit of the regular health insurance. I tried calling the insurance company and got one explanation of how it worked and what it covered, and I got a completely different answer from the HR department at our parent company's corporate offices in Missouri. I finally established, or so I thought, that a normal eye exam would be covered, and so I made my appointment with the approved provider in Tullahoma.

Well, they tested my eyes today. The good news is that my eyes are healthy, without any glaucoma or cataracts or what have you. But the bad news is that the eye doctor (who seems both friendly and knowledgeable, a real professional) didn't think the prescription from my existing glasses matched up with the test results that the technician had gotten on my vision tests. He wanted to re-check to make sure the test was accurate, and I appreciated his thoroughness. By that time, however, they'd already dilated me, and so there was no way to re-do the tests that day. I have to come back next week.

On my way out, the lady at the business office told me she didn't see any vision coverage on my insurance card. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't a separate vision plan but part of the regular health insurance, and she agreed to file it, but she's skeptical -- and she may turn out to be right, depending on who's manning the claims desk at the insurance company this week.

So I had to make a followup appointment for next week and drive home from Tullahoma in the rain. They said the dilation didn't affect my distance vision, so hopefully I was no threat to myself or others (at least, no more than usual).

Hopefully, I'll get a prescription after my followup appointment next week, and I'll have my new glasses by the time I have to read and interpret the insurance forms.

Until that time, though, don't call me a man of vision.

John I. Carney is city editor of the Times-Gazette and covers county government and other topics. His home page is lakeneuron.com.