Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Cataracts

 There have been a few articles on cataracts on the news feed and one was quite interesting commenting on how you notice that you have cataracts. One of the items was not being able to read the street signs and since I have never been able to I did find that amusing actually. The Motor Vehicle people who tested my eyes and then permitted me to do the road test even though I did not pass the depth of vision test were very helpful. I think arriving with my driving instructor who said that I  had had eleven hours of in car driving (eleven one hour lessons) and he provided his car for the test was perhaps the inducement for actually letting me try the driving portion. He was an excellent teacher and recommended this Defensive Driving Course that I took where I learned the best rule; Every trip is from a point A to a point B; plan it all out and follow the rules of the road and get out of the way if you have to or just stop if that becomes necessary. That along with the excellent teaching got me my driver's license which I have had now for 56.5 years. I have had one parking ticket and when I was in a parking lot I had my daughter and a child I was baby sitting (not actually my idea the doctor that we had offered my name and I felt sorry for the woman as she couldn't find anyone who would take her daughter). The babysat child distracted me (my own children never distracted me they were so good but it must have been frightening for them when I think back on their traveling with me when I was driving) for just a moment in time when I was backing out and I stopped immediately but the other car grazed mine with damage to the other car I am sad to say. Paid for that, actually no police were called I simply took the blame. Fortunately it frightened the mother so much that she found another sitter. I did warn her that I didn't see very well if I ever had to take her daughter in the car. That was the first and only time that I did; in a way I always thought it was lucky. I was already busy proofreading, the girls went to the same kindergarten by bus, I just didn't want to give up my time with my child with another there. I suppose I should have told Gordon I was working but I am not really one to share my personal details with people unless there is a reason (surprised actually that Edward didn't tell Gordon I was working as they used to chat about their mutual genealogy). Anyway off topic again. The other items for cataracts are blurry text which I haven't experienced yet and difficulty seeing like you used to but my lenses are now three years old and I really think that plastic starts to lose some of its crispness after two years so would normally have bought new ones but I was referred and certainly did not want to purchase two sets of glasses in one year! Another criteria was loss of distance vision and I would say my vision distance is reasonable. I used to be able to recognize small song birds 100 feet away and probably it is about 50 feet now but that in itself is not too bad. However, it is better to have cataract surgery sooner rather than when it is absolutely urgent as the healing process is faster. Anyway was an interesting article that I read whilst cleaning. 

Still no news on the referral; probably he is really busy but I am a patient person besides if he decides that he doesn't have time to do it with  his patient load then I can get referred to someone else (but definitely I would not get a December appointment! but I may not anyway). My father always said how easy it was and my eyes are just like his were. He had his done fourty years ago now so I was actually really relaxed about it all. Anyway work to be done.

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