It's two years since I posted about this and it was time to go again to have my eyes tested to within an inch of their lives. Same lovely young optometrist, always encouraging as I stumbled along the lines of rapidly-diminishing letters: A, Something, Something, O or Q, Z, Something. "Not too bad!" he replied every time. I had the bright lights and thick yellow eye drops, a fascinated look at my retinas on screen, and noticed that rather more time was spent looking into my left eye than my right.
It turned out that I was wrong about needing stronger specs - my sight was fine. But I have a cortical cataract starting in one eye. And I'm only just 61! At least this wasn't something you could blame yourself for, I said, thinking about diet (excess of) and exercise (lack of). Life offers so many rich opportunities for self-recrimination, regret and guilt. Young optometrist was reassuring, but of course I googled it when I came home. Horrible pictures....
Then I went off to browse the John Lewis sale therapeutically, hoping that my eyes weren't still wolf-yellow from the drops, bought a bed sheet, resisted a new HD-ready flat screen television, another DAB radio or a cupboard-load of gorgeous china, and came home on the bus. Cataract, bus pass, sensible approach to the sales; I'm getting old.
The girl next to me on the bus made several calls from her mobile phone. Clearly she did not like her job. Snippet:
"Boring.... I hate the weekday staff.... they all smell bad.... what?....no they don't really smell. You know what I mean...."
Eh?
And when I got home, I found that the boys had been paddling in their clean water, now filled with debris. Actually, it appears to be cat litter. Maybe they aren't playing at all, but exercising their fastidious standards of paw hygiene. I wonder if they would appreciate a foot spa next to the cat trays?
9 comments:
Of course it's not your fault !! I don't agree with this weird theory that we've brought everything on ourselves . Belongs to the hair-shirt school of thought .
I would now eschew all googled information and treat yourself to something extra delicious ...... two helpings .
Cataract operations are safe and highly effective so when the time comes , you'll sail through it with customary elan .
P.S. Even the Grundys in The Archers got a foot spa . The boys deserve no less .
Going to the opticians always reminds me of going as a child. I had a 'turn' in one eye, and so had to wear those horrible round pink National Health specs with one eye covered over. I was only four!! When I was told I didn't need to wear them any more, I took them home and stamped on them. My father was not amused.
What the opticians did have then, however, was the most child-friendly testing kit. Thinking about it, it could almost have been home made, as there were little houses, animals and people, all in bright colours. I loved the tests, even the contraption I had to have strapped to my head.
Yes, I must have been a strange child!
I think you should have treated yourself to something too!
(word verification is grazedo - so perhaps a nice cake?)
Oliver's once pure white paws have suddenly become beige and dirty looking - from his constant basement reno supervision and assitance + wide open spaces concrete parkouring - he too would enjoy a foot spa - similar to some hutzspa.
xo les Gang
Those boys - sure are sweet
word verification red a heap
Yes, I was told I had the beginnings of cataracts, too. Not thinking about it. Lalalalala.
Cake, that's the thing.
cataract ops are bagatelles. My Mum had them and so didmy husband and half a dozen friends. And it really wasn't your fault.
It is your fault, however, that you are letting 'old age' stop you from splurging out on all the things you walked past, unless it's the lack of untold millions in your bank account?
I, too, have cataracts starting in both eyes... have been like this for almost 2 years. My sweet young thing says not to worry...it's about 6 or 7 years away from surgery , but come once a year so he can keep HIS eye on things. Okay doc... you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be there.... I sure as hell want to know exactly what is happening eye wise... we also have macular degeneration in the family....sigh..it never ends does it? If this wasn't your blog...I'd really swear... right out loud. And, If I ever find the idiot who coined the phrase Golden Years...I'll throttle him!!
Sorry that you have a 'thing' to have to think about but glad it is something that can be rectified easily when the time comes. I understand such things develop slowly. Like your other comments, this bringing stuff upon one's self is tosh! We all have predispositons to things and all that, we're all going to cop for something as we age, so cake it is then?
Ha! My cats also use their water dish as a paddling pool. I must take some of the blame, however, as I love to float an ice cube in their water and watch them go after it, round and round and round.... hee hee!
Thank heavens we live in modern times, not at all pleasant to think about, but yes, it WILL be rectified when the time comes: in the meantime on with the retail therapy say I. Number one item to buy? Foot spa for cats of course, ah go on, I double dare you.... OllieV
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