Feeling a little Zapped
January 12, 2010
I knew as soon as I opened the door and walked in that the wait was going to be a long one. Practically every chair in the room was taken. The majority of the patrons were elderly, with some being younger and obviously caregivers and there to assist. I guess that placed me somewhere in-between.
Resisting our fate, I lingered a moment with the receptionist asking about the time frame. Roland already sensing the answer.. headed towards the two free chairs on the far side. Soon, nodding at the girl behind the desk, I turned to follow him, feeling my blood already starting to boil.
Patience is a virtue I am working on.
What is it about “eye docs”. Why does every appointment take a two to three hour slice from our day.
I know this to be true from the many eye doctors that my mom visits on a regular bases. Mine have been fewer… but the time frame of the appointments rarely varies.
Today I was revisiting the eye doc that did my cataract surgery 5 years ago. Increasingly cloudy vision and a visit to my optometrist had revealed that a Posterior capsule opacity (POC) had developed. This is caused by epithelial cells remaining after the initial cataract surgery. They often (especially in younger patients, I am told) tend to multiply and end up leaving a hazy membrane (capsule) just behind the artificial intraocular lens leading to reduced vision. This is a common complication of cataract surgery and quite easily fixed. The treatment is a YAG laser capsulotomy… the why of why I was here today.
Bless Roland… I have much to learn from him in regards to patience. He quietly sat, pulled out his iPhone and started flipping through his various apps. An elderly gentleman, sitting directly across, noted the device and soon the two of them were in a friendly discussion about all the techie toys of our era.
I sat quietly too… inwardly fighting with my Irish temperament, trying to maintain a tolerant demur instead of focusing on the long wait ahead. I had the thought that taking out my own iPod and inserting the ear phones might make us look like two middle aged dweebs.. so I leafed through a magazine instead.
About 40 minutes later I heard my name called and was lead into a small examination room, had a few preliminary eye tests done, received the eye drops to dilate the pupils and then returned to the waiting room (to wait some more).
Now what was I to do to combat those negative thoughts swirling about in my head? Unable to read any longer with pupils near the size of my Iris, I relented, reached into my purse, and pulled out my iPod.
I slipped on the white ear buds, toggled on my favourite playlist and mercifully was instantly adrift. Glancing up just as Jann Arden’s soft voice filled my consciousness, I felt as if I had instantaneously entered a different dimension.
The dilated pupils had effected my vision to the point where my central sight was clear but a blurry cloud softened the periphery. The music now living in my head muffled the conversational buzz of the room.
I had been transported. I slowly felt my body relax.
I suppose some did notice us there.. the two middle aged geeks, sitting side by side, both immersed in their little technical wizardry.. but I no longer cared… for I was of another world. :-)
colleen b—–
Colleen B—–
COLLEEN B—–
“Oh! Yes… here”. I hurriedly pulled the ear pieces from my ears and followed the assistant into the awaiting doc’s domain.
I was given a brief eye exam, a consent to sign, and then told that the laser treatment would be done and would only take a moment.
And surprise, surprise… that is really what it took… one quick moment of laser zaps. And I was done.
Grateful for once more having clear vision, we left with me no longer regretting the wait and truly feeling very thankful for the handy little iPod that helped me keep my cool… and for Roland, of course. :-) He is so often my eyes and shows me the way.
———-
One of my favourite Jann Arden songs:
A Love Story
February 14, 2007
The sun was warm and the south wind gentle on that April day way back in 1989. Winter was slowly fading into memory as spring began to realize its promise. My children and I gathered with my parents to enjoy our first barbecue of the year and to celebrate Mom’s birthday.
I had just graduated from the university intensive care nursing program. The winter months had been spent studying, working and attending classes. Graduation had been the previous weekend and I was ready to have some fun so after the barbecue, friends and I were heading out for more partying. With no definite destination in mind, we somehow ended up walking through the doors of a newly established country western bar. How we ended up there I can not quite remember. Looking back .. it must have been fate.
The bar was new, crowded and lively. Many couples two-stepped across the dance floor. I have always loved to dance, but here I found myself ready to have a good time, good music playing, and no one to share the dance floor with.
As I sat at our table trying to make conversation over the loud music, my feet under the table took on a life of their own.
Looking about the room, I noticed two guys sitting a couple of tables away, sipping on their beers. I could see the taller one had his fingers doing the same dance as my feet. “What the h***,” I thought. I stood and walked across the room. My two friends, open mouthed, watched me go.
“Where are you going, Colleen?”
Not looking back, I continued walking towards the table. As I approached, both men stopped their conversation and glanced up. Still feeling no fear, I smiled, looked the tall one in the eyes and simply said, “Would you like to dance?” He smiled back and said he was sorry but no, he did not dance, but his friend did. My eyes swept over to his friend. This one didn’t look too pleased with my intrusion. His eyes were cast downward, focused on his beer. This was starting to feel a little awkward.
Finally he allowed his glance to move upwards. Our eyes met. “Want to dance?” I asked, now feeling a little sheepish. He shrugged, “ok.” I turned. He rose and followed me to the dance floor.
Once we reached the edge of the wooden dance floor we stopped, turned and faced each other. He smiled. Now it was my turn to cast my eyes downward. My shyness had returned. By then, as luck would have it, the pace of the music slowed. He opened his arms and I hesitantly moved into them. He gently and easily moved us across the dance floor. As I relaxed with the music and the motion, my head rested against his shoulder and my heart slowly began to melt. We fit together perfectly.
Two months after that night we combined our lives, my two teenage boys, his preteen daughter, and became a family. Eighteen years later, his smile is still capable of melting my heart.
Just as a side note… he later told me that the reason he initially appeared disinterested in dancing was because I had not asked him first. This still makes me smile.
what a way to start the day
January 22, 2007
I stumble down to the kitchen in my usually fashion and before I even feed the critters, I fill the coffee pot with water and reach for the canister that stores the coffee. What… empty!! How can that be.
A search in the bottom cupboard comes up empty. We must have some in the pantry cupboard downstairs. I feel the beginning of “oh no.. this is not how I want to start my day” thoughts as I head down the stairs to have a look. A bit of a frantic search turns up not one coffee bean.
+sigh+
“Roland.. do you know we are out of coffee?” I proclaim, a little more loudly than is necessary, as I walk by the bedroom door.
Already feeling a little grumpy and hearing only mumblings from the bedroom, I head back to the kitchen to feed Coco and Bear who are both hot on my heels doing their little pre-breakfast dance. Once the beasts are fed, I do one more cupboard search and come up with a small jar of almost empty instant coffee.
+more sighs+
I guess this will have to do.
The furkids fed, and with instant coffee in cup, I head to the computer room to check my email. The little green light blinks on my monitor. My computer sits quiet.. no hum of the computer fan.. no blue light indicating power. What..?? It was working fine last night. I press the ‘on’ switch on the tower. Nothing!!
First, no coffee. Then, no computer. Am I being tested?
I have only been up for 30 minutes. I shutter inwardly wondering if this is an indicator for the rest of the day. Another press of the on switch does nothing. A check of the power supply does nothing. A sinking feeling is starting to take hold.
A voice from the doorway says, “What’s the matter. Let me take a look”.
A few minutes of fiddling and the blue indicator light on the computer tower flashes. One of the sockets on the surge protector must have blown. A new socket for the computer cable brings it back to life.
“Thank you, thank you!” I say as I smile at my still not fully awake husband.
Thirty minutes later I add a kiss and a hug to the thank you as Roland comes through the outside back door after an unplanned emergency trip to Tim Hortons.
No wonder he is my hero. :-)
