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Published: April 1st 2018
Happy Easter to all our dear family and friends.
Excuse any typing errors. I’m doing this cock-eyed! Wednesday, the 28th, I had my first cataract removed. Yikes! It went terrible! Sooooo bad! My eye actually fell out of the socket, fell onto the floor and the doctor stepped on it. They had to replace it with a pig’s eye! It’s not pretty at all and I can only see mud and slop through it! April Fool’s!!! Hah, Hah! Really... Everything went very well. Hah, Hah!
We had to travel over to Rt.27 and go to an Ambulatory Surgery Unit in Davenport, Florida. I had to be there at 6:30 A.M. Cory wasn’t sure what the traffic would be like and we didn’t want to encounter any issues so we left here (TP) at 5:30 AM. Yes, that early....I think I was asleep driving over...not my time to rise, for sure. Used to get up then when I worked the day shift at the hospital but that was years ago. Not used to getting up in the middle of the night anymore except for an occasional bathroom visit. Anyway, Lulu wouldn’t even wake up. She was snoring! She told us
to leave her alone. She sure wasn’t going to be my support person during my traumatic experience. So glad Cory was with me. He’s such a good guy! It was dark outside....real dark except for the headlights of the trillions of cars that were coming in to our area and on to Orlando. Fortunately, not as many leaving it so we sailed along briskly. Made the trip in 20 minutes! The place wasn’t even open! A few folks waited outside the entrance but they were the 6:00 AM patients. Thank God for my Ipad. I played my games while we waited for time to pass. Finally, I agreed to go in where we still waited in their waiting room. Eventually I was called back to the pre-op area. That took awhile because the nurse must have put 99 drops in my eye. I did get to see the anesthetist. Immediately I ployed him for lots of drugs to knock me out. He said I had to be awake! WHAAAT! Are you kidding me?? Not this gal! Cutting into my eye while I’m awake....not happening! He explained he would give me plenty of “stuff” so I would really not be that
aware what was happening plus my eye would be all numbed up. Ewwww. I don’t know. It didn’t sound good. The nurse poured the final drops in my eye and slapped a gauze on it and told me not to open my eyes. Geeze.....was this blackness going to be my future vision?? I prayed not. My Dr. came in and talked with me. I couldn’t see him cause I was afraid to open my unaffected eye fearing the supersaturated one would flip open, too. I hope it was the doctor and not just a maintenance man. Cory said he seemed nice. He said he wrote my info on his hand? Really?? Won’t he be wearing gloves during this sterile procedure? How could he read his hand? Oh, God! I was told he was the best in the business and did thousands of these procedures! I must believe and have faith! The time came when I was wheeled back to the operating room. A very nice nurse chatted the whole time with me....very reassuring. Probably the doctor’s sister! Bravely, slowly and carefully, I opened my unaffected eye. I raised up my head a little and took a good look around .....just
making sure I wasn’t in a broom closet somewhere. A black man was prepping the instrument table....I had never seen him before. I saw the sweet nurse. Pretty soon the anesthetist was at my side. He reassured me and squirted some cold liquid into my IV. I kept checking my mentation and I thought I was still normal...untouched by any immediate, soothing, knock out drug. I’m not sure if I spoke with the doctor. I kept saying I was aware and alert. The next thing I knew there was funny flashing and activity going on in my operative eye. Nothing I could distinguish. I couldn’t feel anything or really understand what was happening around me. But knowing me, I’m sure I continued to loudly inform them that I was still awake and aware. I don’t know if they did anything. Nearing the end of the procedure, I think I felt a needle go into my eye and loudly told all of them....but no one seem to answer and all I remember is the doctor....or maintenance man....saying it was all done. Oh, thank God! I vaguely remember Cory being next to me in the recovery area and quickly being put in
a wheelchair and taken out to our car. I don’t remember recovering!! Not sure how long all this took but the actual cataract removal was 10 minutes. Prep time was probably 20 minutes and recovery time.....I don’t think there was any! Cory said I kind of rambled on and on while traveling home. I don’t remember this ride. Finally, we were back at the RV. I had my big black blind person glasses on....that’s all....no patch; nothing. I felt okay. I rested while he went to the drugstore to get my eye drops. Our beloved, diabetic dog, Dear Chip, had his cataracts removed and he had the same time consuming regimen with various eye drops at fairly frequent times. My eye felt good....no pain, not even scratchy. I had Cory read to me all the discharge instructions, etc. My eye was blurry! Nothing in the discharge notes mentioned it could be blurry. Oh, God! I’m blind! Common sense told me it could be blurry but, just in case.....I called the ASU....yes, the nurse said it could be blurry and might be up to 2 weeks. Whew! Two days later, the ASU nurse did a call back check. Again, I mentioned
some blurring. She said that happens but was it getting any less? Yes, somewhat. She said just to tell the doctor when I see him on Tuesday (April 3rd). Of course, I would. It’s kind of challenging just seeing well at this time. When I wear my eyeglasses, I see normal with my unaffected eye but with my operative eye, it’s very very blurry because of the corrective lens in my glasses and a different lens that was inserted where my cataract lens used to be. Without my glasses, my unaffected eye is blurry and my new “eye” is mostly clear....just a tad blurry. So I switch back and forth. It will be good to have the 2nd eye done so my sight gets back to normal.....or as they say: better! It’s been an experience, let me tell you. Cory is planning to have his cataracts done when we come back down here next year. He’ll probably make a better patient. I’m kind of a rotten one. Lulu is glad she doesn’t have any issues with her eyes. Lucky lady!
On this same day, in the late afternoon, our first family arrived here in Florida. Lory, our oldest daughter,
Top: before surgery
Below: after surgery Jay (our son-in-law), Sara (granddaughter) and Ashlynn (Sara’s friend) checked into Regal Oaks.....condo units just adjacent to Tropical Palms....handy and nice. It was wonderful to be with them again. Take a look at their Welcome Greeter that was in the pond just behind their condo unit! We fed them at Guenter’s Bar & Grill.....rather than them being fed to the alligator. The girls rode around our park on our golf cart. Lulu was thrilled to be in their presence again. The girls wasted no time going to Old Town and riding the new, huge wooden roller coaster.....TWICE! Brave ladies! Lulu did not go. She’s so short that the slightest increase in any height scares her near to death. Yesterday, the Knapp family relocated to our timeshare at Cypress Harbour near Seaworld. They shall be there until April 9th when they have to fly back home to New York (Scio).
Cory’s 74th Birthday was Friday, March 30th. Wow! We are getting old! He received so many good wishes from family and friends on Facebook. He was so happy and in awe with all the nice comments and pictures. Thank you one and all. Sam & Sandy gave him 2 of
his favorites: a big bag of peppermint patties & a great golf hat from his favorite golf course: Falcon’s Fire. Thank you, dear friends. Lulu just gave him a big, fat kiss. Besides a super generous Walmart gift card, Lory and Jay took us all to celebrate his big day at Manny’s for dinner. Me, in my big, black glasses. Makes me stand out in the crowd. All I needed was a white stick. Thank you so much! The staff sang to him and presented him with a big ice cream sundae and a monster one for the rest of us to share. We were sooooo full! Happy Birthday, Cory. You are loved! Our friend,Stan, also had his birthday....many of them. At least five celebrations and singing. How old does all of that make him? He flaunted his birthday by riding around with birthday balloons attached to his car. He wanted everyone to know it was his birthday. Happy Birthday, Stan.....you humble guy!
It is with a sad heart I must mention the death of a good friend, Colleen Kailbourn. She was one of my most loyal followers on our blog. She will be deeply missed. She always ended
her comments and emails with Happy Trails. Now, she has followed her last trail. We pray it was a serene and peaceful one. Good- bye, friend. May all your trails in heaven be happy ones for you.
While writing this ceaseless blog, much more has happened. Our next family has arrived here at Tropical Palms. This is our son, Cory, our grandchildren, Rachael and Shenen, Cory’s girlfriend, Penny and her daughter, Molly. Thus, there will be a continuation about them in my next blog. My “cockeyes” can’t do any more on this one.
See you next time around. Happy Trails!
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DeAnne
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Happy Easter
Glad things went well-mine is in AM-also @ 6:30-sorry to hear of Coleen's passing-we always had such fun @ the office! Enjoy the family and hope to see you on your return trip home!!