Oh sure, blame the little guy with...

[mechurchlady]

Good luck and prayers for a successful surgery.

[Princess Susi]

Have somebody draw a skull and crossbones on that eyepatch! :piratefla

You better make that eye patch with sequins and fairy dust! No self respecting fairy would have a pirate eye patch. It has to match her fairy uniform! ;)

You know aging sucks Bru. I went to the eye doctor about 8 weeks ago cause I had this HUGE floater that was moving all across my left eye constantly. He said it was vitreous detachment which is supposedly common, (it happens as we age, the vitreous fluid in our eyeball collapses and detaches from the back of the eye. It is attached back by the retina. The symptoms usually clear up in about 6 weeks. Well, I still have the giant floater and am going back to see him, since the other liklihood would be retinal detachment. And that ain't good.

Some signs for you elders here are flashing lights in your peripheral vision and then a giant catapillar's shadow looking thing that looks like it is standing on end, swishing back and forth across your vision. He said everyone gets it as they older, since the vitreous goop does not stay firm and jelly like as we age.
Nice, huh? I'll say it again...
AGING SUCKS!!!!!!

I am thinking of you, Bru.
You have to get me an address where I can send you lots of Wall-e goodies. They are just waiting for you here, needing an address to go to! :)

I know how you feel about seeing. I have worn coke bottle lenses since third grade. I cannot see one inch in front of my face without specs. I woudl rather lose my hearing, or sense of taste or smell (especially these days on a public bus ) than lose my eyesight.

My mom just had both eyes done for cataracts and she does not even need her glasses anymore! She wears her reading glasses, cause at 86 and wearing glasses all her life, she feels nekkid without them!

I wish you all the best for the surgery and I send prayers for you. Once again may God guide the surgeon's hands. You will be fine!

And hey, you know that people buy those glasses that make those weird halo effects around the Christmas lights! They hand them out at our annual "Zoolights". They decorate the zoo all up and hand out those specs so you can see weird light effects. I hope you can get to where you NEED the glasses to get the effect!!!

Love, hugs and prayers, my friend,
Susi

[hobie16]

AGING SUCKS!!!!!!

I feel like a twenty year old... with something real bad wrong.

[February]

thanks again guys- susi am still working on thep ost office box thing you know I haven't been there since MAY??? I am sure I have friends who will never speak to me again becuase I haven't written sent packages I was supposed to :/ but they know I've been pretty tied up all summer with dad.

Aging sucks, no argument there but allow me a small one moment whine LOL I am only 37 and I've had the loose pigment since I was in my early twenties at least (first time I had a real eye exam- my mother doesn't believe in doctors as you all know). I've had these eye issues my whole life and didn't know it! My eyes are way older than I am and so are my joints and all. But then I know I have nothing to *!^!~% about there are little kids born with far greater health challenges than I have and I need to remember that. I need to just suck it up and get on with it!!! that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna put on my 'big girl' fairy wings to twist another phrase and just get it over with!

Bring it!

[Princess Susi]

I am so sorry you have to had to deal with so much so young. THAT REALLY SUCKS! I know aging brings it's own troubles, but to have these things happen when you are younger, well, Bru, you are a very strong person and I know you are a fighter and will get through this too. My prayers are going out to you and I know you will conquer yet another battle with your body.
Much Love!
Susi

[February]

Well...

after a lengthy pre-operative visit yesterday, my surgeon officially pulled the plug on Tuesday. :(

He's got a list as long as his arm of complications he's anticipating, and in the end he wants the super-specialist that I saw in August to do it. He said he'd call me after he'd talked to her, but her office just called to book the pre-op appointment so that tells me the answer right there.

My husband was just sitting there in shock as this guy went into detail for over an hour of what he anticipated going wrong- the further surgeries it could very well require, and the fact that he can't give me any, that's ANY, prediction on what the outcome of the surgery will be.

He also mentioned that the cataracts are now so big that they are fast approching 'inoperable' status.

So.

Did I mention that super-surgeon is booking in March for pre-op consults? For potential surgery in April and May?

If time runs out and they can't do it, I don't blame him though, I put this whole thing off while my dad's thing was going on and that was my choice. It's not his fault at all.

It's also not his fault that I have one of the weirdest sets of eyes that they've ever seen at U of M. He said that the super-specialist called them "Fascinating". That is not what you want to be with someone who sees so many eyes.

So, it is what it is. I have to tell you that my gut feeling has always been that surgery would not turn out well. I kept telling my husband I was not being a drama queen about all that could go wrong- I think after hearing the surgeon talk yesterday (and knowing this is the third team of specialists I've seen now) he finally accepted the fact that this is really happening and I might just be going blind and no one may be able to stop it.

Well, we might end up getting that dog my daughter always wanted...and they make voice recognition software so I can still post here if the worst happens, right?

I have to just keep putting one foot in front of the other...

[ktulu]

That sucks Bru, but maybe the specialist can find some thing good out of this!

If the worst does come around, you can still use a computer with no problem. There used to be a company on my floor that specialized in helping people with disabilities use computers. We had blind people on the floor all the time, they were going there to learn stuff. I was most impressed with the people who used the canes to find their way there.

Then there was the lady who went through a few seeing eye dogs. She would yell at them all the time. They would look at us with that "help me!" look in their eyes. We stopped seeing her after a while, we all wondered if one of the dogs had enough and led her in front of a bus...

Anyway, there is lots of software out there. I think you'll be fine :)

[February]

That sucks Bru, but maybe the specialist can find some thing good out of this!

If the worst does come around, you can still use a computer with no problem. There used to be a company on my floor that specialized in helping people with disabilities use computers. We had blind people on the floor all the time, they were going there to learn stuff. I was most impressed with the people who used the canes to find their way there.

Then there was the lady who went through a few seeing eye dogs. She would yell at them all the time. They would look at us with that "help me!" look in their eyes. We stopped seeing her after a while, we all wondered if one of the dogs had enough and led her in front of a bus...

Anyway, there is lots of software out there. I think you'll be fine :)

Cool! Good to know, thanks ktulu! I was thinking about it and well, I already can't drive (due to the stroke) I'm used to using a crutch (Maybe I can get a cane/crutch combo!) and so, whatever happens happens.

The hardest part is my husband is seeming to be hit by the reality of the situation all at once and I don't know what to do for him :( my 12 year old said to me "Mom, I've already accepted that you might not be able to see, we'll get used to it." Kids are so resilient. And motivating.

A good pick me up- my new large print Dr. Phil book just got here and with a flashlight and a magnifying glass I can read it with my right eye! Yay me! I just loves me my Dr. Phil.

Hey, I wonder if we could write off a big screen TV as a medical expense.

Who am I kidding? our insurance won't even cover a single magnifying glass! (Sadly I am not joking all low vision aids are excluded. You can get viagara, but you can't get anything out of them to help you see. INteresting healthcare system we have in this country)

[DisneyMom]

Geez Bru, I'm so sorry to hear this :(

[Main Streeter]

As always, no soothing words nor pearls of wisdom Bru. God be with you & remember you do have us. :)