Medical updates

So...I went back to the opthamologist today. It's progressing, but it sure is a slow process! However, my pressures are entirely normal now, and my vision in the affected eye is now 20/40 instead of 20/80 (which meant I pretty much could see nothing out of it the first time I was seen!) SO...I am still putting the prednisone type drops in every two hours. And I am only doing one other drop 2x a day. Which is definitely progress, and SOOO much easier to remember!!!

But just to make life more interesting...I had a tube put in my right ear yesterday! Yep, a tube. Shades of being 4 again! :) Actually, when I was four, tubes didn't exist. Which is a pity, since maybe all my ear problems would have been prevented. I had WICKED earaches/infections as a child, and even into adulthood. And for the last 11 years I have endured a clogged ear, popping, crackling, and intense pain upon it opening back up...and don't get me STARTED about flying on an airplane! AI YI YI YI!!!!

So, I've been seen at the hospital's ENT clinic for the past 8 mos. or so. We've tried various things, and while some things improved, the ear did not. SOOO...tubes. Very nice young resident looked at my history, looked in my ear, and said "Let's put a tube in it today!" Okay, no problem. I asked him if it would hurt. He assured me that he would numb it, etc., and it was a simple procedure. NOT. Not for me, anyhow. Oh, the pain! I bawled like a baby, all the while holding still, cuz this guy had a scalpel poking at my eardrum. Not fun. Oh was I glad when he finally was through. He apologized profusely, and I actually felt bad for HIM. Anyhow, once it was done, it was not painful...but now it is. Which does not make me happy, more than 24 hours later. I have a low grade earache. Nothing stupendous, but enough to make me wince a bit. I am putting in antibiotic drops 3X a day, but if it doesn't feel better by tomorrow, I will call. Not sure who I will talk to...this is a clinic, only there on Tuesday PM, so who knows? Meanwhile, I am now sporting a lovely earplug when I shower, and am so looking forward to swimming, etc! But honestly, if I can finally hear like I am not UNDER WATER, and the popping and pain are gone, I will be thrilled!

Other than that, I am just ducky! It sucks getting old! :)

Blessings...Nancy

In which I visit the Eye Dr. and actually GET help!

Okay, so the saga continues! First I have to tell you that last night I asked God to do something so that I did not have to drive bus this morning. Let me preface that with saying that I have not missed a single day or run all year. I have gone to work sick as a dog, but I go and soldier through. Because if I don't work, I don't get paid. AND...there is a monthly bonus if we don't miss any time. AND at the end of the year, there is a much larger bonus! So I have been diligent in my job duties. BUT NOW....no more bonuses. At least not this new month...OH, April's Fools to you! :) And NO, this is not an April Fools joke...wish it were.

What I MEANT when I petitioned God is that Noah wouldn't be going to school, or that his mom was driving him, or whatever...he's the only kid I drive in the morning, so if he wasn't going, I would be free to go to my 8:30 appt. that was 45 min. away.

Guess I didn't make that clear to the Lord. Because this morning I woke up REAL early. It was still mostly dark out. I stumbled to the living room, and put the drops in my eye. I tried to open my eye, which had been very painful to do when I first woke up. But it wasn't TOO bad. But for some reason, I closed the good eye...and could not see out of the bad! YIKES! SO....I called the bus company and told them I couldn't drive. Certainly not this morning, and that I would let them know for the rest of the day.

So off I went to the Dr. I had called my mom and asked her to take me...poor mom. We were there for 2 and a half hours!!!!! The dr. dilated my eyes, and I figured he would, so did not want to drive myself, plus with the bad vision in the affected eye, it wasn't worth taking a chance.

So...FINALLY I have a dr. who is actually DOING something to help me! Thank You, Lord!!! He said that while he did NOT want to scare me, we were going to be very aggressive with treatment, because if we did not, I could very well go blind. DOUBLE YIKES! SO...I was sent home with even more drops. And more prescriptions. I am now putting one thing in every single hour when I am awake. Another 3x a day; another 2x a day; and another at bedtime. That on top of the myriad of meds I ALREADY take is an impressive arsenal, let me tell you!!!

I am not driving today, or tomorrow morning. I have to be back in the office at 8:15!! But MAYBE I will be able to drive my noon time and afternoon runs. We'll see. First I have to see how all these drops affect my vision. It, by the way, is quite a bit better (ie, things are merely blurry now, not like TRYING to see through a frosted glass.) I can actually make out objects and all. I can't read any letters on anything, but when both eyes are open, the good one compensates quite well.

So, I guess this is my present testing of my faith. Hope I remain faithful, and allow God to work through me. I did make the people at the Dr.'s office smile this morning, so that's a good thing! :)

Blessings...Nancy