Hurry Up and Wait Once Again - Life Continues

Chickie is taking the day off today, so I'm working for her. She is getting an epidural injection early this morning for pain management of her scoliosis, and she'll be unable to get back to work until tomorrow. She's supposed to do absolutely nothing today, and if her cats allow it, that's exactly what she'll be doing. Personally, nobody is getting any needles anywhere close to MY spine - shiver!!! 

There is absolutely NO WAY anyone would 
be allowed near my spine with a sharp, pointed 
item like a needle. But Chickie is hoping it will 
give her some relief from the constant pain, and 
allow her to do her Physical Therapy with less 
pain as well. The effect of the injection should 
last anywhere from 3-6 months, ideally. 

Yesterday's eye doctor appointment didn't go quite as well as I had hoped. Apparently there is still some small bits of infection that need to be handled in my right eye, and my left, although doing well, should still finish the antibiotics. He prescribed another dose of antibiotics for Eye #1, though, so now I'm taking two (one for each eye) until the one for the left runs out, then only the one. My next appointment is on July 5th, so it's out there a few weeks. I'm not super pleased, of course, but in the calendar of my life, those extra weeks are minimal. 

I'm really getting used to eye drops. I now have a 
purple topped antibiotic for my left eye, and a pink 
topped eye drop for my right eye. When I'm not using 
those drops, I'm using regular eye drops to keep things 
moist and flush things out a bit. 

Today I'm heading over for an unscheduled swim since yesterday I was too crunched for time to be able to indulge in the pool. I do like to get my three days a week of swimming done, and of course, the outdoor pool is delightful. We actually do have an indoor pool lifeguard also, at least first thing in the morning. That means our friend Gail can swim her two hours every morning. She's a pretty amazing woman. She had both hips replaced earlier this year, and could hardly wait to get back to the pool. She's using a pull buoy for many of her laps, but not all of them. She's getting the exercise she needs and recovering very well. 

I had never heard of container houses before 
Gail mentioned it, but it makes sense. Apparently 
there are a lot of different floor plans and options 
available, and some of the houses are quite 
extensive and expansive. Hers will not be - she's 
just getting a single container renovated for her 
home. I suppose size-wise it's similar to many 
apartments, though. 

I suspect that she'll move to Costa Rica before the end of the year. Her daughter and son-in-law live down there in an American community of container houses. She bought a lot near them and her container(s) have been placed there, but still need to be converted into her home. She's looking forward to it. I think I'd be quite nervous, but she's a brave woman and if she's nervous, she's not showing it. 

So, I'm going to wrap this up and get my things together for my day. I hope you have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back to wrap the week up tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Just A Quick Check-In

Just a very quick note to tell all that my cataract surgery #2 went really well, and I'm heading back to the clinic for my one-day checkup in an hour or so. I'll post a regular post tomorrow since I promised DH I'd work on Friday and Saturday before having two days off for Sunday and Memorial Day. So, I'll catch up with other's posts today and be back on a regular schedule tomorrow. Have an excellent Thursday and Slava Ukraini. 

Eye Surgery #2 Today

So I have my second cataract surgery today, in approximately three hours. I'm supposed to awaken DH in an hour - he's NOT an early bird, so very unhappy with being awakened at 4:30 am. He's one of those people who regularly is up at midnight, where I fade hours before then. Different circadian rhythms, I guess. One more indication of how opposite we are. 

The fact that opposites attract is really the only excuse I have 
for why DH and I got together. We're so totally different. 
But in many ways, that clicks for us and we are strengthened 
through our differences. 

I'm sure the surgery will go quickly, and I'll be back home before long. Then I'll spend most of the day resting. I'll do my usual Wednesday chores (laundry, etc) tomorrow instead. I'd rather not be bending over as much as laundry requires until after 24 hours from surgery. I plan on spending much of today sleeping, so I've even cancelled my usual Wednesday afternoon chat with Aearwen for a week. I'll also switch my laundry from today until tomorrow. I'll be "lazy" today instead, and recover quickly. 

I did take some photos of the YMCA outdoor pool yesterday 
morning. I'll have to send those over to my computer and 
get them into my hard drive. Obviously, this isn't one of those 
because there are people in this one, but our outdoor pool 
doesn't open until Saturday at 7:00 am. 

I'm looking at getting back to the swimming pool on Thursday and Friday next week, and it'll be in the outdoor pool - a glorious way to see the sunrise. I'm sorry I'll miss the absolute opening of the pool on Saturday (not that I would be there on that day anyway - Saturday openings are too late for my schedules). Still, I won't miss much, and I can hardly wait to get back into the large pool as the sun rises above the horizon. Whoot! 

So, I'm cutting this off and gathering my things together. I hope you have a wonderful day and I plan to be back tomorrow (although I might allow myself to sleep in a bit since I'm not swimming and still recovering from my surgery). Enjoy your day and Slava Ukraini. 

Scheduling - A Week of a Few Changes

I won't be posting tomorrow because I have my eye surgery at 6:30 am and then I'll be going back home and going to sleep. So, no post tomorrow, and maybe also on Thursday, depending on how I'm feeling and how well I'm seeing. I'm still using an old set of eyeglasses for my and mid-range vision, but my first eye is pretty much healed now, and is just settling down into its' "new normal". And isn't that the case for so many things in life? 

As humans, our "normal" is actually always changing 
from day to day. But we establish patterns for our 
personal comfort and get upset when those patterns 
change or shift. 

How many times in our lives have we been faced with changes that required a reset to a "new normal"? It could be something as minor as breaking a bone and having to deal with the 6-8 week heal before returning to older habits. Or it could be something as life changing as getting married or having a child. Those are things that can affect change for long periods of time - sometimes the rest of a person's life. I'm absolutely sure that each of you reading my blog today will have experienced one or several of these changes that required a shift to a "new normal" state. 

Shifting from Black to White isn't always easy - there are 
so many steps between. But it's something that we actually 
are always doing, every day, in one way or another. 

How do you shift from black to white like that? Do you go kicking and screaming, ranging and raving about how things "used to be" instead of embracing the new and walking boldly into the fuzzy darkness ahead? Do you look around for light that you can carry into the darkness with you - things, tools. perhaps people, that you can take with you to make that new path more gentle and forgiving? Maybe you have a friend or relative who has walked a similar path in their own lifetime. They might have advice for you - how they navigated these new waters. Their advice may be what keeps you floating and away from the rocks. 

It's not always easy to ask for help or advice, but there 
are times when you will need it. There are also times 
when you will provide it to someone else who has 
asked. Life is very much a give and take - a sharing of 
experiences. 

Don't be afraid to ask for advice or help. The unique thing about the human race is our communication and our ability to reach out to others - sometimes perfect strangers - and learn from them. If there's a problem out there, I can almost guarantee someone else will have had it happen to them too. They might be willing to share their lessons, thus smoothing out a small part of your own road. You just need to be brave enough to reach out. Sure, the request might be met with a "No", but there's just as much of a chance that it will be met with a "Yes" and that helpful hand will be outstretched toward you. Be brave. Ask. No isn't a horrible thing, it just means you haven't found the right person to ask yet. 

Unfortunately, it was this skin suit - my sea 
turtle suit - that totally bit the dust yesterday. 
I got most of my swim in, but had to shorten 
it a bit before I pushed the levels of decency 
in a public pool. I should have two replacement 
skin suits no later than next week. 

So, I'm off to the pool for my swim today. I ordered two new skin suits yesterday, because yesterday's suit I was wearing ripped up the side from my ankle to my hip. It would have  continued to disintegrate, but I decided I'd better leave the water before I was totally exposed (good idea, that! LOL). I extracted the water from it, and tossed it into the garbage. New suits should be here by the end of the week. Plenty of time since I won't be able to swim until middle of next week - after my eye has had a chance to heal for a week. Be good, be kind (to yourself and others) and I'll be back on Thursday, Friday at latest. Slava Ukraini. 

A Wonky Schedule This Week and Chickie Back Issues

My schedule this week is a bit messed up - I'll swim today and tomorrow, have eye surgery on Wednesday, and recover from that until Saturday, when I'll be back at work. (I might return to work on Friday, but I'm not promising that). 

My schedule this week, because of surgery on a Wednesday, 
is totally messed up. Chickie and DH will have to work 
for me for at least two days, maybe three. It'll be hard on 
both of them, but we'll persevere. 

Chickie finally got the results of her MRI yesterday. Her doctor said "Your recent MRI test results showed some significant degenerative and nerve/spinal cord compression in your neck and low back that is probably causing your current symptoms. I'd like to have you see a spine specialist re this." Chickie says she wants to see what Mayo has to say before doing anything further, so I'm sure she'll be on the phone to Mayo today. Chickie's got this rare disease that affects each person differently, and Mayo is her go-to for direction when health issues arise for her. So, we'll see what Mayo has to say, but right now, Chickie is in a LOT of pain and just bending over can be excruciating. Not good! 

Spinal cord compressions are NOT a fun thing. I remember 
my aunt dealing with spine pain for most of her life. She 
tried everything possible at the time to relieve her pain, but 
nothing really worked. 

DH and I saw our first hummingbirds yesterday, and they're using my feeder. I put new food out for them yesterday, so I'm delighted they're back and drinking what I make for them. I swept and totally cleaned up the patio, while DH mixed dirt, spread it in two places in the yard, and applied grass seed. These are places where we've had difficulty getting grass established in prior years, but our experiments with this new grass seed on other parts of the lawn have been very successful, so we're hoping grass will take hold here as well. 

We get seven different kinds of hummingbirds in 
Minnesota. Six of them are pictured here. The one 
in the larger photo is like the one that I saw at our 
feeder yesterday. 

It was an absolutely beautiful Sunday - not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect! Starting my week out in the pool makes it all better too, so I'm looking forward to my week ahead, despite the surgery and wonky schedule. It's all good - LOL. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Yesterday was a gardening day. DH and I started the day out at Gertens, a lovely place with LOTS of choices of plants (and trees, and other things for the garden and yards). We ran into Chickie, Chickie Mama and Clarke there, so were able to say "Hi" and exchange this and that. It was simply lovely to see Claire again - I really love Chickie Mama. 

It was cold and rainy - I actually wore my winter parka and didn't regret that choice at all. By the time we were finished, my gloves were soaked and my umbrella had been seriously used. DH was a bit cold in his leather jacket, but he was at least intelligent enough to use his own umbrella - absolutely necessary. 

We bought a LOT of plants, then went to Home Depot for some more bags of dirt and a couple of other minor things. Then home. The rain stopped around 11:00 am, just in time for the Big Plant! That's what DH spent the next few hours doing - planting all of the new plants throughout the garden in our patio area along the "castle" walls. When they bloom later this year, it should be glorious. I took photos, and I'll share them tomorrow since I'm tight on time today. 

Why am I tight on time? I've been looking for my eyedrops and can't find them. My eye is really bothering me today - I suspect it's too much airborne dirt and pollen that's settled into my eye, causing discomfort. I know I have eyedrops at the shop, and I also know I had a bottle here at home within the past 48 hours, but I'm not finding it. I need it. So, I'll drop by the store on my way to the shop and buy another. I don't even care what kind - just need something to keep my eyes lubricated and get rid of air-borne pollen. 

So today you get a minimal post. Still, we had a great Sunday and, as I said, I'll share photos with all of you tomorrow. We can all compare the before and after photos later in the year. Until then, please have a wonderful Monday and I promise, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukfaini. 

Back to the Pool, and a Very Busy Day

Today is the first day I'm back in the swimming pool since my cataract surgery. I'm finding myself wearing my old trifocal glasses for the day because that allows me to have the near vision that I need. But for distance, I'm actually best off without glasses, or minimal. So my distance vision has improved dramatically. My eyes are still varying in focus - not always consistent, but there's no pain and I'm quite pleased. Now to get back to swimming. 

I'm rather amazed at the clarity of my distance vision,
but my near vision still needs help. I'm already looking 
forward to the 24th when I'll get the other eye done. 

I'll actually get quite a few swims in before my next surgery on the 24th. I should get three swims this week, and three next week, plus Tuesday the 23rd. I'm quite pleased about that because I need to get two pounds back off and swimming is the best way I know of to get some good exercise. Plus ... I don't want to fall backwards in terms of swimming stamina. The outdoor pool opens at the end of the month, and that's a long pool - Olympic sized. Instead of doing 30+ laps, I'm only doing 16 for the same result of mileage. 

Obviously there are no palm trees in Minnesota, but the 
view of sunrise as we're swimming in the outdoor pool 
is quite similar to this. It's always spectacular and very special, 
and one of the big reasons why I love swimming outdoors 
in the summer months. 

Work progresses, and we're still cleaning everything, tossing away whatever we can, and trying to get the shop into shape for any final sales we may have. We're still not quite in the position of calling and scheduling Travis yet, but we're closer every day. DH has been working extensively in the warehouse and it's starting to look very good indeed. Now to get him to contact the people he was planning to offer his excess inventory to and getting them over to take a look and give an offer. Baby steps ... 

Baby steps - that's really all that can be expected of 
anyone at any time. The goal will be reached and 
achieved, but it's not going to happen all at once. 

Tomorrow will be a total tush - swim, come home and drop off my swimming stuff, get back into the car and head over to the car dealership for my checkup and possibly some new tires. Then I can actually start my day - LOL. I'm already tired just thinking about it. Somewhere between now and then, I have to get gas into the car. I won't make it to the bank today and the car dealer tomorrow without some. So ... one more thing to stuff into my schedule. Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Heading Into the Big, Brave New World - Peace and Quiet

Yesterday was a minimal day - I started the day out with my one-day checkup at the eye doctor (I'm currently seeing 20/30 which he says is pretty good, so I'm happy with that). I know my eye will heal in the usual amount of time that any bodily injury heals - 6-8 weeks for total healing for most people. I decided to grab an older set of eyeglasses for the day, instead of my current set. I might pack both old and new in my backpack since I have the ability to carry both with my laptop. 

Seeing 20/30 is a big improvement for my vision, and 
I'm already looking forward to my next surgery on 
the 24th. After all of this, I should have perfect vision 
for a while. Of course, my eyes are old, so that perfect 
vision won't stick around for long. But I'll enjoy it 
while I have it. 

I went to Target and to the grocery store, picked up a TON of veggies, and came home to make a BUNCH of Ogre Juice (Alkagizer). I have four glasses in the fridge for the next four days of work, and four containers in the freezer for the other days. I want to increase my intake of Alkagizers from four a week to 6-7 a week to help my healing. The nutrition I get from my Ogre Juice is massive, so I wanted to build that nutrition to help my body heal before my next eye surgery on the 24th. 

I actually did end up buying some fresh broccoli to 
add to my Ogre Juice in these eight glasses. Of course, 
I'm always changing from one to another thing anyway. 
I don't think I've made the recipe the same way twice 
in more than two years. This time I also added some 
baby cucumbers that the store had on sale. They were SO 
cute! Not even a full finger length long. 

I have to agree with everyone who told me, "If you have to get surgery, get cataract surgery. No pain, quick results, all good." I'm agreeing, 100% with everyone who said that to me. I'm getting slight flashes of light or color on the edges of my eye, but those will also go away. Unfortunately, I didn't get the "psychedelic" experience with the anesthetic that some patients report. Oh well, LOL. 

I always wanted to experience a psychedelic vision when 
I was young, and still want to. But my body simply isn't 
wired to that, and I've never had one - even in circumstances 
where other people report them. *sigh* I'm too planted 
in reality, I guess.  

I allowed myself to sleep in until 4:00 am instead of my usual 3:15 am, and I'm regretting it right now. I had a lovely sleep, and an excellent meditation round, but shortly after my shower, while heating my water for my morning tea, DH awakened and he's in the computer room right now, the TV is on the financial channel (loudly) and he's in the middle of a sneezing attack. I love peace and quiet in my mornings. There's no peace and quiet once DH has awakened. *sigh* 

I'm all in favor of peace and quiet. It's something I 
don't get often, although I try to get some every 
morning in my morning meditation time. Sometimes 
that's the only peace and quiet I get during the day. 

So, on that note, I'm wrapping this up. I'll be at the shop today, so trial by fire for my new eye. I'm wearing my favorite set of older eyeglasses since it's weaker than what I've been wearing. This is the set that I'll get re-lensed when my eyes finally settle down. If I'm actually seeing really well - 20/20 or so - I'll just get them redone without a prescription, but with clear lenses or photo-sensitive lenses. I like wearing glasses - they're face jewelry and I'm all into that. My eyes without glasses aren't attractive, so I love wearing them - just at the correct prescription. So ... I'm out of here. I'll try to catch up with the past two days of your posts and comment by the end of Saturday. It'll take me a bit of time, but it's so worth it to find out what all of you, my on-line friends, have been up to lately. Slava Ukraini. 

Cataract Surgery - I Survived and I Thrive

So I skipped yesterday's post - too many things to get done before leaving for the clinic for my 6:15 am appointment. But I got there, managed to instruct DH on how/where to get the prescription eye drops he needed to pick up for me, and headed to the preparation rooms where I was covered by a wonderful, warm blanket and eventually given nice drugs - LOL. 

First of all ... this is NOT me (I'm not that young any 
more, nor that good looking). But the eyes could easily 
be me - yesterday on the left, today on the right. I can 
hardly wait to get the second eye done and have clarity 
of vision I haven't had since I was a child. 

I did tell my Doctor that I was disappointed because all of the printed materials said "No swimming for two weeks after surgery" where he had told me one week. But he smiled beneath his mask, and patted me on the arm. "One week. Only one week for you." "Excellent!" I declared. "I can get at least three sessions in between surgeries". So, I'm out of the pool this week, but I can return to it next week, after a full week of recovery. 

I think the biggest step in having any voluntary surgical 
procedure is the decision to try. I simply couldn't work 
with poor vision any more, and changing glasses time after 
time wasn't working well either. Having the option 
of surgery presented to me gave me another chance, and 
I grabbed at it. So far, I'm very pleased. 

One of my customers had said that if she ever had to repeat a surgery, her cataracts would be her choice. She was absolutely correct. This was easy, fast, and pain-free. I do have to remind myself to remain upright as much as possible because that's better for healing, (obviously, sleeping does not count), but I am managing. Today I will go to the grocery shop, and then back home. That's a quick and close errand, but necessary. I'm out of food and need to stock up. 

I hadn't thought about putting broccoli or asparagus 
into my Ogre Juice before, but that's got possibilities. 
I'll have to see what's fresh today. That's usually my 
only criteria of what veggies I choose. 

I'll make myself a large batch of "Ogre Juice" for the next week or so. I'm planning on one a day for a week or so to help me heal faster. "Ogre Juice" can be pretty remarkable for that - the nutrition pump it gives the body is premium. I usually only have four a week, but I'm planning on one a day for the next week+ to aid in healing. So, I'll be making some today - my grocery cart will be overflowing with veggies - LOL. 

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts for my surgery 
yesterday. Obviously they worked really well! *hugs*

Thanks to all of you for your positive thoughts on my surgery. I'm very happy with the results.  I'm typing this without my eyeglasses and I'm seeing the screen with clarity. I couldn't have done that yesterday. After I get the next eye surgery done on the 24th, I'll practically be a new woman (we'll just skip the sagging breasts and the wrinkles - LOL). If you're ever presented with the option for cataract surgery, go for it. I'll join the chorus of people who have had the surgery and recommend it. 

So far, I'm totally joining the choir of people 
saying that cataract surgery is the BEST. Of 
course, it hasn't been 24 hours yet, but the 
difference is remarkable. One eye down, one 
eye to go. LOL

Now, I have to get DH up in a half-hour so that he can drive me back to the clinic for my 24-hour checkup. Then he'll drop me back home and we'll start our respective days. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

My Life is a Tornado - Phone Issues Continue and Some Positives for May

I haven't spoken about my land-line phone issues for a while. That's not because the issue is resolved, it's because it HASN'T been, and it's not pleasing me. After several missed appointments, a tech did finally arrive to check the lines and the box. He/She (could be either, I never saw the person) determined that a part was malfunctioning. However, it wasn't a stock part and had to be ordered from a larger facility in another state. So, we were pushed back in the queue until that part arrived, and told to expect repair on Monday the 24th. 

At this point it seems as if we're all just chasing 
our own tails. I'm inches away from cancelling 
the land line completely and moving to all 
digital, but DH prefers the land line - he can 
hear it better, apparently. Whatever ... he's the 
one who pays for it. But this service is SO BAD! 

Well, Monday the 24th came and went - no repair person. We were on the schedule for Tuesday, and again, the tech didn't show up to replace the part, but this time we were told (all of this on computer screens, of course, because real people simply don't exist) ... we were told that we had MISSED our appointment and another would have to be scheduled and the earliest they could see us was Thursday. (Now, remember this is all exterior work, and we don't have to be here so ... HOW are WE missing the appointment? The house wasn't picked up by a tornado and deposited in the Land of Oz!). 

I suspect customer service would be much better 
in the Land of Oz. After all, there are the Munchkins, 
and I bet there are some very handy guys in 
their ranks. 

Thursday again was missed, and once again I've been told via computer screen that we had "missed" our appointment So, once again I reached out to Customer Service. After chatting to and fro with a Customer Service representative (on computer, of course), supposedly we will be fixed today. Frankly, I'll believe it when I see it. 

I hate CenturyLink. Of course, I also hate AT&T. At least 
CenturyLink does respond - they're incredibly slow and 
can't seem to keep an appointment, but the repair is on their 
equipment, not ours, so is totally on their dollar, not ours. 
At least that's a plus. AT&T still haven't managed to get 
it through their heads that I cancelled their service in 
early February and they keep sending bills to the shop 
every month. Time to assemble my documentation and 
send it to my Attorney General. I'm getting nowhere with 
them, maybe that office will have better luck. 

Customer Service, Thy Name is NOT CenturyLink! 

Baldamar Steakhouse is very swanky with excellent 
meat and a lovely Sunday buffet. That's what we're going 
to do for an early birthday celebration for me. My 
birthday is too close to Mother's Day for comfortable 
dining, so we're going early instead. I'm really 
looking forward to it! 

On that note, I'm going to start a busy day. I have a lot of things I have to make sure are in place before Tuesday's first cataract surgery. One very nice thing, though. DH had me make reservations at our local, excellent, steak house - Baldamar - for Brunch on the 7th of May. It's an early birthday gift - but we know better than to shoot for the actual date because it's too close to Mother's Day for comfort. I expect there will be some things there I won't want to eat, and there will be some ingredients that I also put to the side with WildFit, but it's only a single meal, I'll try to make intelligent choices, and I'm very much looking forward to it. One positive thing in a month of surgeries and recovery. 

The thing that concerns me the most about my 
cataract surgery is eyeglasses while one 
eye is great and one eye is crap. I also want 
to get two of my favorite eyeglass frames 
re-lensed - I look much better wearing 
eyeglasses than not, so I'll get non-prescription 
lenses made for them. 

Have an excellent Friday. I'll be doing my usual - grocery shopping and making my Ogre Juice for the next week. I have some other things pending too, so I'll be occupied - LOL. I plan on being back here tomorrow - 'Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel", so I'll wish you a splendid day. Slava Ukraini.