I finally got my eyes checked (it only took 15 years) and you should too!
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Confession time: I’m 33 years old, and the last time I got my eyes checked was in high school. You know, back when I needed reading glasses to stop migraines and thought skinny jeans and an epic side fringe would be cool forever.
Look, I know. I KNOW. Getting my eyes tested has been sitting at the bottom of my to-do list for approximately a decade and a half, right alongside “check if I can keep my health insurance,” “iron the pile of clothes on ‘that chair,'” and “answer literally any email in my personal inbox.”
We all have those adulting tasks we conveniently ignore until something forces our hand, right? For me, that something was the creeping realisation that I spend many hours per day staring at my phone screen as a content creator. (No, I will never disclose my actual screen time. A lady has her secrets, and some secrets are too horrifying to speak aloud.)
So, slightly nervous and fully prepared to be told my eyeballs were staging a rebellion after years of screen abuse, I booked an appointment with Belinda Thomas at Evolve Optometry in Gungahlin.
Here’s the thing about procrastinating medical appointments: you build them up in your head to be this huge, time-consuming, probably-bad-news ordeal.
Spoiler alert. It wasn’t.
From the moment I walked into Evolve, Belinda made the whole process easy and calm. She explained every single part of the eye test kindly and clearly, talking me through what she was doing and why. No judgement about my 15-year gap between appointments, just genuine care and professionalism.
Within 40 minutes, we’d tested for multiple degenerative eye conditions, taken baseline retina photos of my eyes (technology is wild), and I had my results. All of this in a small storefront in Gungahlin Village.
The location is chef’s kiss perfect for locals: parking directly underneath at Gungahlin Village (two hours free, thank you very much), and it’s directly opposite Coles and Baker’s Delight. So you can get your eyes tested, restock the fridge, grab a custard scroll for emotional support, and be back at your desk before anyone notices you’ve been gone.
Efficiency at its finest.
Turns out, my eyes are perfect. Which is frankly a miracle considering the screen time situation, but I’m not asking questions.
But here’s what really stuck with me: even if there had been something wrong with my eyes, I would have wanted Belinda to be the person to tell me. There’s something so reassuring about someone who explains things clearly, doesn’t make you feel silly for waiting too long, and genuinely cares about your health. Belinda is a Canberra girl through and through – she grew up here, went to Sydney to study Optometry, then came back to raise a family.
Sammy with Dr Belinda
Since opening the Gungahlin practice four years ago, Ross Collins and Damien Lonergan have played a key role in its continued growth and success. Ross brings extensive practice management and dispensing experience from his time on the South Coast, and Damien has over 20 years in eyecare under his belt. They’re a dynamic team that clearly knows its stuff.
If you’re like me and have been putting off getting your eyes checked because “it’s on the list” but somehow never makes it to the top, consider this your sign.
It’s quick, painless, and ridiculously convenient. And honestly? Knowing your eyes are healthy (or catching something early if they’re not) is worth 40 minutes of your time.
So, to everyone with “book eye test” languishing at the bottom of their to-do list, just do it. Future you (and your eyeballs) will thank you.
To learn more about Evolve Optometry and to book your own eye test, head to their website.
