The "sizzling" earth seems to be cooling down.
Several nights ago, it was minus two below zero here in rural Tennessee. Below zero! That's cold enough to over-freeze the moonshine. Frost bite on the possum's tails.
I'm admittedly worried about my fragile rural house which is unattended in the Arctic wilderness. The negative possibilities are endless.
I had an appointment with the optometrist yesterday (Wednesday). Coldest day of the year - - I think it was 12 degrees. I had to wear crappy second-hand borrowed clothes, because my new clothes were "lost" or "misplaced." Hhhmmm....
The second-hand clothes are all black. I looked like the Grim Reaper....in a wheelchair. I was accompanied by my faithful nurse Henny, who is near 80 and nearly deaf. She shouts everything, but has a distinct hillbilly charm.
Do you remember the good ol' days when you visited an optometrist? You read an eye chart and get a prescription for glasses. A simple procedure.
Nothing is simple nowadays.
After a forty minute wait, I finally had to consult with half a dozen people - - who took tests on me and my eyes, diagnostic tests, scans, and procedures. Questions, questions, analyzations of what my eyes were like when I was ten.
After an hour, I finally saw the doctor. He was incredibly goodlooking. I'm intimidated by goodlooking doctors.
Well, he went over every aspect of my eyes. I'm profoundly near sighted (as if I didn't know). My severe astigmatism improved (!) over the years. My retinas look good - - considering I had emergency retina surgery on both eyes years ago (that's another horrifying story I could tell).
He suddenly slipped into the bad news mode. I have cataracts in both eyes. Will get worse, of course. Surgery is recomended. He said that new glasses won't help me. The surgery will improve my vision so drastically that I most likely won't need glasses.
I'm skeptical. Never heard of such a thing. Tempting, but.....is this a scam? Everyone I know has had cataract surgery. Was everyone talked into it??
I listened carefully to his pitch.
He was hustling me like a two bit barker at Coney Island.
He was persuasive. He was damn cute. He could have sold me beach front property in Kansas.
I acquiesed. I submitted myself to him completely.
(I'm being funny...?)
I'll get the surgery. Against my better judgement.
I don't know how the hell I get into these things. Why why why isn't life simple anymore??
Presently, I have no clue when or where the surgery will take place. Definitely out of town. Possibly in Cookeville.
So what else is new?
I have too many ailments to mention. My back, hip, legs. The edema has nearly vanished. Blood pressure is good. My blood work fluxuates. I'm supposedly dehydrated. I am extremely anemic. I'll skip the other things.
I finally received the new charger for my cell phone after two weeks. I desperately needed it.
I plan to order some new clothes so I won't look like the grim reaper next time I go out. If I ever go out.
Jon, never exactly seeing clearly
❤️
What are your thoughts concerning cataract surgery?
I had cataract surgery a few years ago and it did correct my vision so that glasses are not needed for distance, but close up reading requires reading glasses. There is a surgery which will correct for far and near sightedness but medicare doesn’t cover this version as it’s costlier. You will be able to get a pair of corrective glasses after the standard surgery and medicare covers that cost. I wear a corrective contact in one eye which is the strength of a reading lens (+2) whenever I don’t want to carry glasses with me.
ReplyDeleteYou’re right, Jon, in saying a lot of folks get this surgery. Usually one eye at a time with a week or so between surgeries. I have heard that some did both eyes at the same time.
I'm very reluctant to get the surgery. It all seems far too complicated. Right now I can read perfectly without reading glasses.
DeleteYes, they will do one eye and then the next in a week.
Thanks, Dorothy.
"I was accompanied by my faithful nurse Henny, who is near 80 and nearly deaf. She shouts everything, but has a distinct hillbilly charm."
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh. I love her already! I hope she shows up in future posts.
I have heard that about some eye surgeries. You end up with 20/20 vision. I think one day it will be the norm. I am not interested, though. Probably for the same reasons as you, but my doctor is not very handsome.
You're funny. I knew Henny from when I was hospitalized in 2023. She's a real character but a very hard worker.
DeleteI am very reluctant to get the surgery. It will bring more complications into my life.
Then say no.
Delete🙂
I had cataract surgery when my eye doctor announced I was almost illegal for driving, severe astigmatism no longer fixable with glasses. It was very successful. I do use glasses for close work, but otherwise not. However if you're not driving -- I have no option -- I wonder how vital it is, if you can read fine.
ReplyDeleteI don't need any glasses for reading. I'm concerned that I will need reading glasses after surgery.
DeleteI gave up driving in 2023, when I was extremely ill.
Anyway, I'm glad to hear that your surgery was successful.
Thanks, Liz.
Well Jon, as you know I work for Alcon and my department assembles probes for eye cataract surgery, Both my parents had it done and I will have to soon as well because I have cataracts in both my eyes (beginning stage). Alcon shows us a video of an actual surgery being performed and the entire procedure takes about 17 minutes. My parents said it was nothing to worry about and approximately 80% of us will have to have it done due to aging, etc.
ReplyDeletePlease do not worry, I am sure you will be fine!
-Kim (anonymous) lol
DeleteThanks for this information, Kim. Your comment is reassuring.
DeleteHi Jon
ReplyDeleteI had early onset cataracts, age 57. I had the surgery done by a doc who had done over a thousand. It consisted of numbing the eye socket with lidocaine, the only mildly painful part of the whole procedure. I was offered mild sedation, didn't take it. The procedure lasted less than 20 mins, more like 15. One week later, they did the other eye.
I had no complications, which are very rare. I had 20/200 vision before surgery, 20/15 afterwards.
I still needed reading glasses.
The only difficult part for me was getting used to not needing glasses for everyday activities...I had been wearing them since I was 12,
Thanks for this information, Mike. I wore glasses since I was eight. I got contact lenses when I was eighteen, and kept alternating with contacts and glasses the rest of my life.
DeleteNow that I'm older, I don't really care about contacts. Cataract surgery will probably the best route....hopefully.
I was enormously relieved that my cataract surgery was basically a walk in the park .... the biggest annoyance, those eye drops. They told me I'd be startled at how vivid everything seemed (after the fact), and they weren't wrong. So glad you've elected to go forward.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's great news concerning your cataract surgery. It does give me the courage to go forward.
DeleteThanks, Myra.
Cliff and I both had one of our eyes done about 3 weeks ago. I will still be wearing glasses. I now have 20/20 vision in the fixed eye, but for distance I'll have to have glasses... I could have done without glasses, but that's done differently and costs $1,000 out of pocket. Besides, I have always had dark circles under my eyes, and glasses help hide that.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that you have 20/20 vision in the fixed eye. So far I have positive news about the surgery from everyone. Thanks for the information, Donna.
DeleteYou've certainly had some negative ordeals with your eyes - - similar to some of the things I went through. I nearly went blind from torn retinas.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind getting the cataract surgery - - but I'm terrified of losing my ability to read without glasses. I've suspected I had cataracts for years, but it didn't bother me.
I agree about Medicare pushing procedures.
Thanks, Jo
I had mine done a while back. One after the other. I was so nearsighted that I had clear vision of about 5-6 inches and already was wearing bi-focals. I'll admit I was scared and the whole idea of them messing with my eyes freaked me out, but it wasn't bad at all. I fell asleep through most of it but when I was awake you can't see anything they're doing. The hardest part for me was waiting between surgeries because I couldn't see much at all with one eye "fixed" and the other one not...couldn't get new glasses for a while after the second surgery, either. Oddly, now I can see far away but can't see close up. Still strange to me because it is the opposite as the rest of my life. Ended up with tri-focals so I have a lense for close up and another for a short distance so I can see my laptop. I don't need the top part of my glasses because I can see the TV, etc...I guess I have almost 20/20 vision for distances now! Amazing! But I wear my glasses all the time due to needing the other two distances all the time. Can't see close up anymore or even fairly close up. So now I guess I am farsighted? Anyways, the surgery is not as bad as I thought it would be at all. The world gets brighter, that's for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your first-hand input, Rita. I'm still skeptical about the surgery. I don't want it to cause me more problems than I already have. It seems like it makes nearsighted people farsighted. Weird.
DeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear your health is stabilizing and even improving. My opinion on cataract surgery: YES! I had it done two years ago and now I don't need glasses to drive. You will be very amazed at how well your vision improves, especially the colors. So vibrant, colors that you've been missing all these years because your eyesight had gradually faded. My eyes were so bad, especially the right one which seemed like it had a soap smear on it. Interestingly, for many years I was near sighted but now I'm far sighted. I still can't get used to taking OFF my glasses when I'm driving. And I especially like watching my big screen TV WITHOUT glasses that I have to constantly clean. Go for it Jon! You will not be disappointed. By the way, almost everyone I know has had cataract surgery. Even Pat! He ditched his big glasses permanently.
Ron
Thank you so much for the information, Ron. I'm so glad that the surgery drastically improved your eyesight. I really appreciate your input.
DeleteTake care....and enjoy your upcoming trip!
Jon,
ReplyDeleteIt is weird to be nearsighted all my life and all of a sudden I'm far sighted. It's been a couple years since I had my cataract surgery and I still can't get over that I am farsighted now. Of course I'm a little disappointed that I always need reading glasses now for my near sightedness but I needed glasses before, it's just that my nearsightedness got worse after my cataract surgery. I had the option to have bifocal lenses put in but that doesn't always work and I would have to pay extra for that. And besides my eye doctor, who opinion I really value (he's cute too!) didn't really advise it with enough enthusiasm for me to seriously consider going for the more expensive option.
Ron
I hate bifocals, Ron! I had bifocal glasses once long ago and they drove me crazy!!!!
DeleteHi Jon,
ReplyDeleteThat song I mentioned over on Kim's blog you were interested in is: "Will You be Staying After Sunday" by Peppermint Rainbow. It's on You Tube. Every time I hear it, I get very melancholy. It brings back a rush on memories from that long ago weekend in my youth.
All my friends have had the cataract surgery, and all have done well and said it made their vision much clearer. I have cataracts, too...we all get them as we age. Mine aren't to the point where I need the surgery....yet. Good luck. Now I'm dealing with severe sciatica down my right leg. Yikes. I'm on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer and doing specific exercises. Waling is still painful. Aging...ugh. I hope you're feeling better, and progress is moving along. At least the sun is out here today, and the temps seem a tad warmer.
Paranormal John
I've never heard that song, but it sounds like a perfect one for a romantic/sentimental weekend. I'll check it out on YouTube. There are many songs that bring back bittersweet memories for me. The golden past never fades....
DeleteI've had a lot of positive feedback about cataract surgery, which is encouraging.
I can sympathize with the agony of sciatica, because I have it. I hope the muscle relaxer and excercises will bring some relief.
It's warmed up here. In the 40s today. A heat wave!
I'll be interested in what you think of that song, Jon. I'm NO musician and you are, but I think it has a great melody and love the lyrics...at least for someone barely out of their teens and in love back in the day. The young lady who sang lead became a hospital administrator in Baltimore, the other girl is her sister. The bass player has passed. I think I read the drummer is in Alaska and has had an off-the-grid lifestyle. I think the other guitarist still plays in local bands.
DeleteParanormal John
I listened to the song twice and really liked it. The melody and lyrics are excellent (why don't they writ3 songs like that anymore?). They're an underrated group - - but I noticed that all the comments are extremely positive.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHope you can open this up, Jon.
ReplyDeletehttps://baltimorepostexaminer.com/peppermint-rainbow-singer-bonnie-lamdin-phipps-remembers-will-you-be-staying-after-sunday/2019/01/18
The lead singer of Peppermint Rainbow....she had an interesting career!
ReplyDeletehttps://acheofgeorgia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Bonnie-Bio-09012022.pdf
OK...enough of my reminiscing. I apologize if I bored you to tears with my geriatric
memories.
Paranormal John
John, I am NEVER bored with geriatric memories!! Thanks for the links.
DeleteI know, the simple days. When you got like you said a simple test, a few questions, and the price tag wouldn't cost you your house.
ReplyDeleteEverything is too complicated nowadays (and too expensive). I'm archaic...I love old fashioned traditions. It wasn't perfect back then, but definitely more simple and less stressful.
DeleteIn my thumbnails bloglist there is a partial post from you, preserved even though you deleted the actual post. I'm sorry you are going through so much. John 3:16
ReplyDeleteSandi, I deleted that post and prayed that no one saw it. Several people did. I plan to revise and repost it.......sometime....
DeleteIt's okay, Jon.
DeleteI mean you may not want to share your troubles, but if you feel like it we are here. If not, we are here. Have a good night.
DeleteDo it! I had cataract surgery and lens implants. Was near sighted and am now far sighted. No prescription glasses, but need now reading glasses. Best thing I ever did.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input. I'm near sighted, too, so I'll undoubtedly need reading glasses, too. It would be wonderful to see clearly....after all these years.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. Had cataract surgeries in November. It went well. Life is never easy, as you have shown me here. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that your cataract surgeries went well. Hopefully your eyesight will remain good in the future.
ReplyDeleteLife certainly isn't easy. I never thought I'd have any health problems, but I'm completely bombarded by them.