So Far, So Good

Every day the bubble of gas in my eye gets smaller, and the vision in my eye gets a little better. It is really weird. I have no depth perception when I look down because the damn bubble is in the way. Going down stairs is a bit of a challenge. I'm OK as long as I don't think about it, But the moment I look down I lose my depth perception, which makes me dizzy.
So me left eye is just the same as it always has been, but my vision in my right eye is constantly changing, although I can see better up close with my right eye. So I have taken a pair of glasses I had made for hiking, and removed the right lens. No matter what I do, for now my vision is sort of messed up.
If I put on my regular glasses, I can see out of my left eye, but my right is messed up, with no glasses I can see better with my right eye, The best compromise is my hiking glasses with the right lens removed.
Eventually, I will have the other eye done. Then when everything settles down I should have good short range vision, and have to use glasses for long range, like driving.
Yesterday, I spent four hours working outside. It is my fault that it rained today, because I pressure washed the deck. It was kinda a challenge washing the deck when I have no depth perception.
Today started out raining, so I took it easy until the rain stopped, then went out and got Frankenhealey running. Then I got the Westfalia running. I need to get started working on it. I think tomorrow I need to call and talk to the guys that do the engine swaps to put a Subaru 2.5 Litre engine is the Westy. I need to get it finished before August for the family reunion in Idaho. Time goes by so quickly. I have to stay on top of things all the time or it will all get away from me.

Free at Last, Free at Last

Thank the Ophthalmologist, I'm Free at Last . I went in for my post surgical check-up today. Everything seems to be going according to plan.
The bubble of gas in my eye is dissipating as expected. The hole in my macula has healed. The new lens in the eye is doing fine. and the REALLY BIG NEWS, I no longer have to stay face down.
I do not have full vision in my right eye. But I have enough to drive. So the first thing I did was drive up to the store and buy a six-pack. Ten days without a beer. I really didn't miss it all that much, it was just the idea I couldn't really drink a beer while face down. I guess I could have resorted to using a straw, but that was just a little too much for me. I'd rather just do without.
The main hassle with the face-down recovery was that I couldn't sleep. I have pretty bad arthritis in my neck and shoulders. I find it hard to sleep at night because if I stay in any one position for too long, it starts to hurt. Normally I just change position, but with the face down gear, there was no other position, If I took a couple of Percocet, I was good for six hours, but I wouldn't allow myself a second dose. I have read all of the stuff about how addictive prescription pain killers are, and that's a road I don't want to go down.
The worst part of the face-down recovery was that I really couldn't take a nap. If I wanted to sleep, it was all or nothing. If I tried to take a nap, I felt like I was suffocating.
When I finish with this, I think I will go and take a nice nap.
The doctor gave me an OK to do pretty much anything I want......
Except for go to work.
I will be OK to go back to work on the 7th.
Damn.... looks like I have to take a week off.
Oh well. a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

On the Eve

One thing I know for sure. As of tomorrow, things will never look the same.

The Vitrectomy will repair the Macular hole in my right eye. When they are working on the eye, they will also replace the lens because of the developing cataract.

Then comes the hard part. Recovery from the surgery requires that I remain face down for a week to ten days. I am renting some special equipment to help. A piece of equipment so I can sleep face down, a special chair so I can sit supported by my legs and chest and remain face down, with a shelf to hold a book or my laptop.

In a week or so, I will be able to see, unaided, out of my right eye. This is something that has not been possible since I was in the first grade. Once the right eye heals and my vision clears, they can do the second eye. Then the real possibility exists that I will be able to see unaided for the first time in my active memory.

So I got the opportunity to use a couple of bad jokes in the real world.

I'll be back when I can see coming to work.................

Eye surgery: It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

A Small Treasure

My mom is moving into an assisted living facility. Consequently she is going through all the "Stuff" in her house, as space will be limited. Since she is 82, she has acumulated considerable stuff.

On Friday afternoon I stopped by as usual, and was helping her get some stuff down off of a high shelf.

"That goes to your brother Bill. that goes to your sister..."

Then there was the figurine... "That goes to the dump or Goodwill".

Wait a minute, I have an idea that might be worth something.

"I don't even know where it came from."

Well, let me have it and I will check it out.

Took it home and researched it on the Internet. The sculptor is Kelsay, and the one in the picture which is identical to the one at home and is currently for sale for $5,000.00.

That's not saying I could get that amount, but it is a lot more than I ever figured it was worth.

Now comes the question of what to do with it.

Coming soon to an eyeball close to you.....

The first big date is May 20th. That's when they will be doing the surgery for the Macular Hole and replacing the lense in my right eye.
I am in the midst of arranging to get some special equipment to facilitate staying face down for a week or two. If the doctor deems it necessary for "Medical Reasons" my insurance will pay for 80% of it. His office is in the process of getting it done now.
Then, after the right eye has heled, I will go back and have the other eye done.
I just want it to all be over with.

Cinco De Mayo

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England.

In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico,which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York.The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise,and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss.

Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as...................

Sinko de Mayo.

WHAT?!?!???

Sorry about that. I know this is a repeat, but I just couldn't help myself.A really bad joke bears repeating.

More good news/bad news

I don't know when the operation on my eye(s) will be. They are supposed to call me tomorrow to set things up.

The good news is that they are going to try to squeeze me in in the next couple of weeks, so maybe I'll be able to be back at work by June 1st. I sure hope we can work it out.

The other news is that I am developing cataracts in both eyes. When they operate on my right eye for the Macular Hole, they will also replace the lense in that eye. Because of the discrepancy of vision between the two eyes, they are also going to replace the lense in the other eye ASAP. I could end up not needing to wear glasses at all.

That would be so cool (and weird). I have worn glasses since I was in the second grade, all the time. The first thing I do after I turn off the alarm, is put on my glasses. The lase thing I do at night is take off my glasses and put them where I can find thiem in the morning.

Like I said, no dates yet, but they are supposed to set it up tomorrow.

Good News/ Bad News

The bad news first.
Yes Indeedie, I do Have a macular hole. Yes aroonie, I need to be operated o n, and last but not least yesadoodie I will have to stay more or less face down for ten days to two weeks while I heal.
The operation part is bad enough, the staying face down part will drive me bat shit.

The good news.
Given the bad news, it being inevitable that I be operated on, I checked out the guy doing the surgery. The referring opthaolmologist told me this guy may be the best in the world. I of course took that with a grain of salt. As far as I knew it could be Omar's Eye Surgery and Croisants, working out of a dumpster near you.
So I checked him out on the Internet.
I was impressed. Elected one of the top Physicians in the US. Was head of Opthalmology at Group Health, currently head of Opthalmology at Swedish Hospital. Teaches Opthalmology at The University of Washington. Does approximately 500 surgeries a year.
I have an appointment with him next Tuesday for an exam and to set up surgery.

Big Day Tomorrow

I finally have my appointment with the opthamologist tomorrow.
I am pretty anxious. There are a lot of things I can hear tomorrow, and most of them are not good.
Anything affecting your eyesight is pretty major. If I lose too much of my eyesight, I lose my ability to do my job. I guess I can look at it that if I lose my job because of a disability, I qualify for Social Security. I also have long term disability insurance through work.
With my luck, it will turn out that my vision will be diminished, but just enough to make me miserable, not enough for me to retire on a disability.
At this point everything is just speculation, but I have to admit I have not been sleeping well.
If they are going to operate, they need to do it soon, as the next P8-A hits the line the end of next month, and I need to be ready to work by then.
The toughest part is that my appointment isn't until 3:30, so I have all day to stew about it.
Oh well, what will be, will be.

That's Gotta Hurt

I got a call at work on Wednesday at work. It was MRS A.
We have this circular staircase that is the only access between the middle and top floors of our house. It is really cool. Everyone who visits remarks about the cool circular staircase.
In truth is is a pain in the ass and a death trap.
Mrs A was the latest victim. She was going upstairs when the top step collapsed, and fell off. She hit her ribs on the handrail and scraped her leg. I am just glad she was going up the stairs instead of down. She is very stiff and sore, and milking it for everything she can get.
'Al, could you take this dish out to the kitchen? I'm injured."
It is one of those selective injuries. It only hurts when there is something to be done that she doesn't want to do.
I can't believe the step came completely loose and fell. It was supported by a couple of half inch wide by eight inch thick brackets. One of the brackets broke in two, and the other pulled loose. When I saw how it was put together I was surprised it held together as long as it did. The straps holding it together were half inch wide with quarter inch holes drilled in them. Naturally they broke right where the closest hole to the bend was. The brackets I put in are the same thickness as the old ones, but are three inches wide with four nails in each end.
Although the thought crossed my mind, I never said a word about maybe losing a little weight. That would have probably resulted in a fatality. Mine.
Mrs A did ask if I had recently taken out a large Insurance Policy on her...........

Around and Around and Around

I took off early from work today so I could drive Mrs A to the doctors to discuss the results of her Colonoscopy.
The diagnosis recently has gone from Crones Disease, to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, back to Crones Disease. Her symptoms are very mild for Crones, but nothing to just overlook.
They are putting her on a new medication, a mild steroid, for a week or so, then another medication after she stabilizes. No one knows how it will go.
She is afraid taking the steroid will cause her to put on weight. Damn woman, it I was troubled by intestinal pain and constant diarrhea, I'd damn well do whatever it takes to feel better.
We will see what we will see.
Next week is my turn in the barrel when I have to go see the Opthamologist and face eye surgery.

Medeline Peyroux

Our anniversary was on the 9th, but we celebrated it yesterday.
We went out to Jazz Alley in Seattle, to see Madeline Pytroux. A good time was had by all.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Her performance was outstanding, and her band was surprisingly good. A little bit of everything. All of it with a blues/jazz slant. Some rockin' hard blues, some almost abstract poetic jazz, all done with class and a unique style.
In particular, besides the Lady herself, I was impressed with the quality of the band members. The keyboard player's style was crisp and skilled, the guitar player could handle both the jazz and rock styles with seeming ease. The bass player was the best I have seen in recent years. I takes a lot of skill to rock out an a six foot tall upright bass. The drummer was really different. Just about every drummer I have ever seen wants to beat the crap out of the skins. This guy was COOL on the drums.
At times Madeline sounded very much like Billie Holiday, especially during "Dance Me to the End of Love".
For a change the service at Jazz Alley was very good. Usually the waitstaff is pretty slow and arrogant. They seem too have the attitude that they are WAY cool because they work at such a cool place, and customers are an annoyance necessary to the business. Last night was a pleasant exception.

I'm Worried for My Country

I am first and foremost, an American Patriot.
I served reluctantly in the Armed Services because I figured it was my duty to repay our society for the rights and privileges we enjoy.
I don't cheat on my taxes.
I vote.
I support out men and women in the Service of our country, even if I don't always agree with the reasons for their deployment. I know what it is like to deployed a half a world away from home.
But I am worried for my country.
Common courtesy seems to be eroding. Since when has it become acceptable for our representatives to heckle the President when he is addressing the people of the United States. Such rudeness should in no way be tolerated.
The Right Wing seems willing to believe any fantastical Bullshit tale about the President, and no one seems to be willing to check the facts before they propagate nonsense. There seems to be no accountability. Anyone who propagates lies about the President should be held accountable in a court of law. Freedom of speech does not give you the right to lie about other people .
On the other hand, The Dems seem willing to erode our basic rights in favor of Their perception of what is good for us. They will remove our right of free choice in favor of what they chose to force on us for our own good. As Henry David Thoreau put it "If I knew a man was coming down the road with the intention of doing me good, I would run the other way as fast as I could." Or something pretty close to that. As one of my heroes, Benjamin Franklin put it "He who is willing to give up Freedom for security deserves neither"
You have the Tea Party who seem to lack common sense and direction. They are mad, and with good reason, but have no plan or direction. They are just pissed off. Still, that is no reason to foment insurrection. Come back when you have plan.
The Militias are arming and digging themselves in.
Armageddon is imminent.
The Mayan Calendar runs out in 2012 and that means the world is coming to an end.
The sky is falling the sky is falling!
GET OVER IT!
The sun will come up tomorrow and things will be just about the same as they were today.
If the people of the United States are seriously concerned about the state of the country, get serious about going after the heads of the Financial Institutions. They are the ones that got us in the mess we are in now. As long as we accept Institutionalized Greed, the economy will not recover. Giving them Billions of Dollars without any sort of accountability is like feeding dollars to the pigs and expecting them to shit gold. Enormous bonuses are necessary to keep the execs from going elsewhere? LET THEM ALL GO! Surely there are some honest and Honorable individuals left in this great country who would be willing to represent the corporations without bleeding the populace dry.
Well, as my hero, Benjamin Franklin also put it "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy".
Think I'll go have a beer.

Catching Up

Boy have I been bad about posting. Lack of focus is my only excuse.
We had "i' over for last weekend. R had to work and she didn't want him missing out on the Easter Sunday egg hunt and get together. L and her son and boyfriend were coming over.

I BBQ'd a huge mess of ribs and cooked a pork tenderloin with Cranberry Chutney. Mrs A made Potato salad, which was excellent. L brought over an angel cake with whipped creme frosting nd fruit topping. The food was great and everything was good.

R and the sperm donor showed up later. She brought over bagels from Noah's with some rally good spread. I guess that makes him a sort of Universal Sperm Donor. He is a nice enough guy and he fathers beautiful children, but that don't keep him from being an immature person. He is not listed on "i"s birth certificate, so he pays no support. So put five kids under 8 together with an eight week old puppy, and it was a mobile scrum.

I was wearing about three hats at work this week. It was Spring Break, so all of the parents with young kids took the week off. I was pretty worn out by Friday. I also had to go to the dentist and have a tooth capped. It looks nice.

Friday was out seventh Anniversary. I bought Mrs a a bottle of Asti and some flowers and a card. When I got to the checkout counter the clerk asked "OOOHHH, What did you do?" I told her it was nothing like that. Mrs A FORGOT OUR ANNIVERSARY. So I am way ahead on points right now. We are going out this coming weekend to celebrate. Madeline Peyroux is coming to Jazz Alley, and we have reservations. I am really looking forward to it.

Yesterday Mrs A went out with her sisters for a girls day out. I stayed home and worked on cars. Adjusted the alternator on the Westie. Got Frankenhealy running, got frustrated with the Z trying to access the dash lights. The truck had the servce engine soon light come on, so I got under the hood, and it turned out the oil was low and so was the water. This should not happen, as it has a brand new engine with about 3000 miles on it. At any rate I topped off the fluids, and took off the battery terminal to reset the error code, reinstalled the battery terminal, started the truck up, and everything was OK. Frankenkealey still has a stuck clutch, but I am not in the mood to do anything about it.

The downpipe for the washr and kitchen sink is partially blocked, so it is leaking, so I need to get down there and pull put the cleanout plug and snake the drain. I hate plumbing.

Puppy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTW75NSJPu4&feature=related

I couldn't resist providine the link. For some reason, the pup reminds me of Frisky Puppy, of Warmer Brother's fame. Monk's relationship with Molly is a lot like Frisky's with Claude the Cat. Except that Molly is a Shi Tzu, but they are catlike enough for the comparison to work. The other think is that the pup doesn't bark, but he does ambush Molly.

The way the pup acts is SOOOO true for monk, except for the barking.

Enjoy

New Family Member

Yesterday, Mrs A brought home a new family member. He is a Brussels Griffon . Contrary to very strong visual clues, he is NOT part monkey, although we are for now calling him Monk.
He is very quiet, and very clingy for now. But then again, he is just a baby.
Molly, the Shi Tzu is very rattled. She has been an only dog for all her life with us, and strongly objects to having to share. For now she has retired to the bedroom and only comes out to eat and go to the bathroom. She refuses to have anything to do with Monk.
He is not potty trained, so Mrs A has some work in front of her.

She has been hinting she wanted a second dog for a couple of weeks. I have fought the good fight, and eventually ended up with something I can live with. I do not like yappy little dogs. First she saw a white Pomeranian she liked. It was way to excitable and wound up. Then it was a Sheltie. Again, way too yappy. Then this one came up. Calm, not yappy, and so ugly he is cute. I can live with this dog.
Mind you, if I was picking a dog for myself it would be a golden retriever or a Lab, but this is Mrs A's birthday present, so she gets what she wants.

Weird Shit

I was at work today, slaving away on the computer (OK, OK, playing solitaire) when I realized that the yellow spot that has plagued my vision for the last two months is gone.
There is still a small visual distortion in the area where it was located, but it is gone. There is a minor floater, but it is located slightly to the side of where the yellow thingie was.
I just looked up, and realized it wasn't there anymore.
Everything I have read says this does NOT happen. It gets worse, but it doesn't get better.
I'm afraid to sneeze or anything, since I don'r know what made it go away.
Knock on wood.
I still intend to go to the eye doctor and see if he has a clue what just happened.
Thank you Lord.

Stilll here

First, I was too busy throwing a pity party to blog. I was too busy sitting in the corner sucking my thumb to blog. Then I had absolutely nothing I wanted to say. Then I was busy doing research on the internet on the surgery they do to repair a macular hole.
It's called avoidance. Or procrastination.
Then I got sick. Nothing major, It started with a scratchy throat, and then stuffed sinuses. I'm not positive, but it almost seems to me more like alergy than anything else. I guess it doesn't really matter since the result is the same. I spent all day yesterday sleeping. The damn phone kept waking me up, but I was really out of it. Tried to read, but after a couple of pages I'd be back in lala lane. Drifting in and out of sleep while reading Dean Koontz's Frankenstien amde for some interesting dreams.
Today I am better, but figured I still feel like crap, might as well pull the covers back over my head and make the world go away.

the EYES have it

I have a hole in my macula, it seems.
This is not a good thing, but not terrible either. I have a big floater right in the center of my right eye. And everything is distorted around it. They cannot correct my vision with lenses or anything. My vision is 20/50 in that eye, corrected.
There is some sort of surgery that they can try with no results guaranteed. At any rate, I have a referral to the eye surgeon to take a look at it and see if anything can be done.
Part of the surgical alternative is you have to lie face down for a period of time after surgery. Anywhere from 24 hours to 4 weeks. I'd rather put up with the big floatie.
They are supposed to call me to set up an appointment.
I guess I will forestall jumping to any conclusions until after the referral.

Optometrist

A couple of weeks ago, this funny thing appeared in my eye (no, it wasn't one of the kids or anything like that).
It is a yellow thing in the center of my vision. Kinda like when a bug hits the windshield and leaves his guts all yellow right in front of you.
It distorts my vision and interferes with reading. I am right eye dominant, and of course it is right in the middle of my right eye fielld of vision.
It doesn't feel like I have something stuckk in my eye, but that's how it seems. Like it is floating on the surface of my eye.
At any rate I have an appointment with the optometrist this afternoon. I have fingers and toes crossed that it is nothing serious.
Both my grandfather and father were blind in later life, so I hope this is not the start of something bad.
Guess I'll find out this afternoon.