Random Acts of "Kindness"

Posts tagged ‘vision’

ELEVATOR POSSESSED

Step by step : First step — my husband made an appointment with an optometrist, his eyes were burning and tearing when he read for a long time. He learned that he needed glasses, that although he had cataracts they weren’t too bad and his retina was disintegrating. Eye sight is important — you don’t want to lose it.

Second step — we made an appointment with our primary doctor. We learned that my husband’s blood sugar over a three month period was still too high, an adjustment to his insulin was needed. Thankfully, his diabetes hadn’t affected his eyes. We also received a referral to a Retina specialist. I learned after an examination, that our doctor determined that the pain in my back was probably caused by a muscle. Another incentive to lose weight.

Third step — I made an appointment with the retina specialist. On a shopping trip we located the Dr.’s office so we wouldn’t get lost. We left early enough to arrive ahead of time, in case there was paperwork to fill out.

Fourth step — we located the doctor’s office on the building sign and determined it was on the third floor. We pressed the elevator for up, when it arrived — we pressed the button for the third floor. We descended into the basement. We pressed the button for the third floor. We stopped at one. We pressed the button for the third floor. We DESCENDED to the basement. We pressed the button for the third floor, we ascended to the fourth. When the elevator door opened, WE GOT OFF AND WALKED DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. Arriving at office 333, the sign on the door read Diamond Health services. ??? The person at the desk said the doctor had relocated and took us down to the building rental office via elevator. We learned the doctor relocated two years ago — to Oakbrook. ?? We had been early, but Oakbrook was easily a 45 minute drive. There is no way we would have arrived close to the time of his appointment.

Thankfully I had brought the information our primary doctor had given us that had the phone number on it. When I phoned, I learned that they had relocated to a hospital that was only a fifteen minute drive from our location. I knew exactly where the hospital was since the vascular surgeon that had healed my leg was located there. We exited the building by WALKING DOWN the stairs.

Last step — after an examination, the doctor determined that my husband didn’t need treatment for his retina at this time. We have another appointment in six months. NEXT TIME we are going to a new doctor, I WILL TRY TO REMEMBER to confirm the address.

Was the elevator possessed or was it only trying to tell us we were at the wrong place? Good question — no answer.

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GLASSES

Sadly my eyes are showing their age too. I received hints that I couldn’t see as far clearly but I ignored the hints. The face of the priest celebrating the Mass at church wasn’t as clear but I didn’t notice a difference in my sight when driving. That is until I drove a long distance and my eyes kept watering. I found distant glasses in an old purse that were prescribed a few years ago which I preferred not to wear. They work fine for driving now. Then I noticed my eyes watered when I was reading. I made an appointment to get my eyes checked.

No surprise — I needed new glasses for reading too. Since I don’t wear glasses all the time, I just got a new pair of glasses for reading. My first solo shopping trip, I wore my glasses for driving. I remembered to take them off and exchanged them for my new reading glasses — and got dizzy. My vision navigating the store was definitely affected. I wanted my old reading glasses which, of course were at home.

If I forgot to take off my driving glasses, I couldn’t see to read the labels for shopping. Gradually I became more accustomed to putting my driving glasses on before leaving the garage or parking space. I became used to changing glasses once I arrived at my destination. I traveled with two pairs of glasses in my purse, one in our car.

Then we went to the camper. I ALWAYS wear sunglasses when I’m riding my scooter. Sun glasses have always restricted my vision. Now that problem intensified. Looking for a solution I thought of buying a pair of sunglasses designed for reading. I found a pair of sunglasses at home that might have worked except they didn’t have an adjustment for distance. Still searching.

My husband had a spare pair of glasses in the car that adjust for sunshine that he had stopped wearing. They were his last prescription. Since he wears his glasses all the time, they are bifocals. He planned to take them to the eye doctor and have the frames fitted with his new prescription. UNTIL I TRIED THEM AND ADOPTED THEM!

I found that his glasses are comfortable to drive in, as well as shop. Since they are tinted, they work as sunglasses also. Problem solved for the moment. As I become more accustomed to wearing bifocals while I’m driving or shopping, my next pair of glasses might be bifocals. Then I wouldn’t have the constant hunt for my glasses.

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FACING THE DRAGON

I’m not a hoarder, but I am a packrat. I know many people, my husband for one, who have no trouble getting rid of stuff. I, on the other hand, have a difficult time — I might need it some day. Which explains why I have this problem. Sadly I came to the realization that there is no way in the world that I’m going to reread all the books that I have collected. Nor am I going to use all of my cookbooks — I’m sure they number in the hundreds.

I’ve also realized that I’m not as young as I once was, another decade past too quickly — I no longer have the energy or the strength. It is hard to face that fact. We will not be able to travel as we had hoped. Do I really need all of my travel brochures? It is hard to let go of the dreams.

I started going through my books — bag upon bag have left for greener pastures. Sadly, it doesn’t look like I have made a dent in the bookshelves. I still have piles of books in stacks on flat surfaces. I have shed the travel brochures. I’m evaluating the cookbooks. I’m parting with some of the magazines.

We had a 100 cup coffee maker that I donated to church. A thirty cup coffee maker met the same fate. We don’t give parties, when would I use them again? You would think that I would start to see some empty space on the shelves. I DON’T! I must have been very careful in my placement.

Our church had a bundle for the Saint Vincent DePaul society. Our priest suggested we go home from church, have breakfast and collect items to donate. I only had two days when we came home from Central Illinois but I managed to pack the trunk of the car with useable items.

If I can maintain my momentum, I might make some progress. But warmer weather is coming, the outdoors beckons. It will be interesting to see if I continue to make progress.

I’m fully aware that I have help from “my friends” but that doesn’t always mean that the “help” will keep me indoors — working — instead of outdoors.

My eyesight is also suffering from age. I recently realized that my far vision had deteriorated. I couldn’t see distance as clearly. Driving home from our daughters in Central Illinois, my eyes were bothering me. I didn’t know if air from the defrost was blowing on them, so I put my reading glasses on. That helped. When we reached home I looked for my distant glasses that I received a few years ago. Thankfully I found them and now wear them when driving. Things are just a little bit clearer. I have to remember which glasses I’m wearing because distant glasses don’t help in the store.

When I arrived home from shopping, I put on my prescription reading glasses only to discover that the arm was broken. I hoped that it just needed a screw but I’m not that lucky. A guided meditation has recently started — I’m still trying to meditate. The next morning, eyes closed I “saw” a verse in black letters at the bottom of my field of vision that slowly rose to the top. The words were so small I couldn’t read them. Now I will admit that glasses wouldn’t help but it is just another nudge from my “friends”. I don’t think I’m ready for bifocals yet. I have an appointment with the eye doctor, so we will see.

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