Stupid Guest Tricks

Please tell her she's in my thoughts, Saint March....

Well bless her heart - hope those new drops do the trick. Pixies all around.

[font="Palatino Linotype"]dear saint and bru...

it's been a very long while since i've been here on sgt and i've been wondering how bru's been doing...she's a trouper and she THINKS she has no patience, but it's been months now and THAT'S patience...and you ARE a saint...as someone who has had to depend on her hubby from time-to-time you don't realize just how valuable you are...

bru i'm so sorry there have been some setbacks, but things will get better...give it some time...you're in my thoughts

big HUUUUUGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSSS for you both[/font]

Am I here? I think I"m here. I still can't see a freaking thing my nose is like up on the screen even with it blown WAY up but not much good.

I MISS YOU GUYS!!! Sorry to shout. But I do! I wanted to shout it!

I was pretty much paroled finally from my eye surgeon on Wednesday. That's good. What's kinda bad is that I start up with the low vision people next week to see if I can get me some shiny new lenses (or big fishybowl glasses) so that I can actually see something. We're officially two months post-op now (from the first surgery) and man, is this next to no vision thing getting old.

I have stuff to do! I have packages to mail (Disneymom, forgive me, we have NOT forgotten you I swear something I think you'll like very much from the youngest fairy in the house will be on its way to you SOON) I have stuff to crochet. Forums to post on. Mountains to climb! (well maybe not that) but you know- I am ready to get this show on the road!!!

I've been thinking of you all here (not much to do but think believe me when you can't see) and so many of you and all your own trials have been on my ind every day (Nota, I never forget about you...). I know March has tried to keep you updated he's been running around like a maniac trying to get me where I needed to go.

The final conversation with the eye surgeon pretty much confirmed what I suspected- she doesn't want to do anything to the right eye. She says that I've been through so much and that there have been so many complications- and that if they can get the left seeing decently that 'many people get by fine with the vision in one eye...) which is kind of a bummer but if I can finally get some glasses or something so I can see with EITHER eye I will count myself very lucky.

I'm gonna try to get caught up on what's goin on with ya'll here as my vision allows. The eye drop reaction really set me back. My surgeon was in Indonesia for a month and so her partner was seeing me and he kept telling me to use them though I suspected they were the problem. By the time I was sure and stopped them it was too late and the eye has been trashed for the past two weeks. I'm still having pain in it that I think may be scar tissue forming (it's right along the incision site) that they don't seem to know what to do for.

But I'm alive!

Thanks so much for keeping me in your thoughts. I haven't abandoned the place, on the contrary I can't wait to get back into proper posting form and cheer for you all again as you've cheered me on along so many times in so many ways.

xoxo
Bru

Bru's back! Bru's back! Yayyyy!! We're missing you, too.

I can't believe your surgeon went off to Indonesia and left you in the hands of the second string. Sounds like it made things worse instead of better. Poor little Brusie. I hope they can get you fitted with some glasses that will give you some vision rather than continuing to carve up your eyeballs. It would be great if surgery could actually fix your vision, but it's not sounding terribly hopeful at this point.

Anyway, Welcome Back Miss Poppin' Fresh. Fill us in on your family adventures since the last episode. How's Dad doing?

Glad you're back, Bru!

Hopefully they'll be able to get you seeing out your one eye pretty good. It is possible to get by fine with vision in only one eye. My mother was blind in one eye and legally blind in the other and got along just fine.

been thinking of you as well bru....hang in there!

We can't wait until you're really back and posting regularly either, Bru! We miss you around here!

Bru, Don't worry about ANYTHING but getting better, when you are we can catch up :)
Thought of you and your daughter today as JO BROS. were on GMA ;)

Hey guys, well it's been awhile again hasn't it? Now that I finally have some equipment to use to try to see with hopefully that won't be the case anymore and I'll be back to being a regular fixture.

I got my humongous aphakia glasses and they work pretty well on the left eye (the right as you know is useless right now) but only if I'm holding still. There is so much distortion with the size of he lens that I cannot tell where I'm walking and get seasick (should that be see-sick? From seein' too much? As Tigger said...) if I try to walk in them. not to mention the potential to fall so I can't use them unless I'm holding still.

The contact lens process has been helpful but has been trial and error. I started out with a really soft +8 contact lens that fits like a dream but doesn't clear up my vision entirely. Still, it helps. They gave me a +10 lens to try and I could see GREAT with it but unfortunately it was like trying to blink with a tupperware bowl in your eye. After fifteen minutes I had to accept defeat and take it out- too late as it had already scratched up my eye pretty badly so I couldn't wear any lens at all for a little bit there.

As it stands right now I have my best possible vision with the plus eight lens and over the counter reading glasses which put the magnification up to about ten and a half. They say my best correction would be at between twelve and fifteen. It's odd getting used to seeing only on the left after no sight at all in that eye for so long but it's truly clear now how little I have left on the right since the left has been somewhat useable again.

I have another appointment with the lens specialist on Tuesday but I likely won't get my final glasses for a little while yet because they will be very expensive and if I'm going to have surgery on the right side in the next couple months (I'm hoping maybe end August or early September- to just get it OVER with) then it's stupid to pay for them when I won't be able to use them soon.

I am definitely going to talk to my surgeon in August when I see her about removing the right lens. even though it would mean I'd be aphakic in both eyes the right one is useless to me now anyway and it was the stronger eye before- if they can get the obstruction out of the way (and it's becoming clear that these were in no way normal cataracts, my lenses were destroyed. I'm being tested for some genetic disorders that could explain a lot if not all of my other health issues too- blood work results are pending) It's more like they were almost melted or something. They just broke down in a way that is nowhere like normal cataracts which explains why my eyes are too weak to support the implants.

Yesterday, I took my first walk alone out in public through the shopping mall in more than a year. I didn't have to be led. I could see signs and people and things. People have faces, did you know that? I'd almost forgotten.

The world isn't a blur anymore and it's remarkable. I'm truly grateful.

I can't see well enough to crochet yet which is killing me because I want to get started on some blankets to send out in honor of my surgeons. My distance vision is better than up close which makes reading difficult too but I'm getting along and so grateful.

I can't believe we're almost three months post op. It was never supposed to take this long but at least the end result is, if not the best one, a good one.

I want to thank all of you again from the bottom of my heart for all your love and support. It's been a great source of strength to me and my family as well to know we've had your thoughts and prayers. It's been a dark time for me figuratively and literally and you have all helped with that.

I won't forget it.

Love to all
Bru

PS Oh yeah! Wazz asked for an update on Dad. He's hanging in there. My mom's been sick and won't go to the doctor (another bout of shingles it seems) so that's been a trial. But recently he wrote my husband a note that said "We'll be back in Disney before you know it."

The first thing he did when he saw I had my new lens and could see something again was write me a big note on his notebook which I haven't been able to see in months and months. I held it close to my face and read it.

It said "We love you"