So, I called my Mom--it's my birthday, and she'd tried to call. So I called her back, I guess, is more accurate.
Let me back up.
My Mom told my sister that she didn't feel safe driving anymore. Truth be told, she's not been safe driving for decades, Especially at night. But now she says she won't do it, she can't see well enough. My sister says, "You know she had surgery for macular degeneration years ago."
Okay, stop. No she didn't. She didn't, because they don't DO surgery for macular degeneration. Well, except the super-experimental lens implantation stuff or the rare laser-stuff, which doesn't FIX things, and that wasn't that. No, she had cataracts, and they fixed them. Thirteen years or so ago.
I said, "No, not macular degeneration, it was cataracts. Ma didn't have MD then, and hopefully doesn't now."
Yeah.
Back to the phone call with my Mom. She says, "Not to ruin your birthday," meaning she's about to do exactly that, "but that thing you talked about the other day with my eyes? I can't remember the name?"
"Macular degeneration?"
"Yes, that's it. I have it. It's bad. The central vision in my right eye is gone, and it's going in the left."
No, Ma, that doesn't screw up my birthday at all. That you may never SEE my boy again didn't, in any way, make me sit there on the bed and cry my stupid eyes out after we finished talking.
Damn.
No idea at this point if it's "wet" or "dry," hoping the specialist she'll be seeing will provide some guidance on preventing further progression/deterioration. My money's on "wet." I think things have progressed quite a bit, at least in that one eye.
Hoping there's some way to make it so she can read her beloved mysteries again. Yes, there are books on tape. No, it's not the same. Hoping she can do her puzzles again. Hoping she can still play her games on the computer, which is becoming difficult.
Macular Degeneration cannot be reversed. But it can, with various treatments, often be arrested/slowed. My Mom has been sitting on this for a while now--over a year. Had she gone in for her annual eye exam these past two years, they'd have caught this a lot earlier.
Watch your folks. Watch your eyes. Watch your risk factors. Me?
I'm the poster child for future macular degeneration--I'm fat, almost fifty, have a family history, have cholesterol issues, am diabetic, and I smoked for decades. Yeah, baby--I'm prime.
And what do they recommend to prevent or arrest MD?
Fruits. Veggies (especially the dark green leafy variety). Fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains. Exercise. In other words, all those things I've been trying to be good about because of my triglycerides/cholesterol. So I guess that's what I just keep doing.
Now I have an even more immediate reason.
Sadness, huh?
If you're looking for more information about macular degeneration, check this link:
Let me back up.
My Mom told my sister that she didn't feel safe driving anymore. Truth be told, she's not been safe driving for decades, Especially at night. But now she says she won't do it, she can't see well enough. My sister says, "You know she had surgery for macular degeneration years ago."
Okay, stop. No she didn't. She didn't, because they don't DO surgery for macular degeneration. Well, except the super-experimental lens implantation stuff or the rare laser-stuff, which doesn't FIX things, and that wasn't that. No, she had cataracts, and they fixed them. Thirteen years or so ago.
I said, "No, not macular degeneration, it was cataracts. Ma didn't have MD then, and hopefully doesn't now."
Yeah.
Back to the phone call with my Mom. She says, "Not to ruin your birthday," meaning she's about to do exactly that, "but that thing you talked about the other day with my eyes? I can't remember the name?"
"Macular degeneration?"
"Yes, that's it. I have it. It's bad. The central vision in my right eye is gone, and it's going in the left."
No, Ma, that doesn't screw up my birthday at all. That you may never SEE my boy again didn't, in any way, make me sit there on the bed and cry my stupid eyes out after we finished talking.
Damn.
No idea at this point if it's "wet" or "dry," hoping the specialist she'll be seeing will provide some guidance on preventing further progression/deterioration. My money's on "wet." I think things have progressed quite a bit, at least in that one eye.
Hoping there's some way to make it so she can read her beloved mysteries again. Yes, there are books on tape. No, it's not the same. Hoping she can do her puzzles again. Hoping she can still play her games on the computer, which is becoming difficult.
Macular Degeneration cannot be reversed. But it can, with various treatments, often be arrested/slowed. My Mom has been sitting on this for a while now--over a year. Had she gone in for her annual eye exam these past two years, they'd have caught this a lot earlier.
Watch your folks. Watch your eyes. Watch your risk factors. Me?
I'm the poster child for future macular degeneration--I'm fat, almost fifty, have a family history, have cholesterol issues, am diabetic, and I smoked for decades. Yeah, baby--I'm prime.
And what do they recommend to prevent or arrest MD?
Fruits. Veggies (especially the dark green leafy variety). Fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains. Exercise. In other words, all those things I've been trying to be good about because of my triglycerides/cholesterol. So I guess that's what I just keep doing.
Now I have an even more immediate reason.
Sadness, huh?
If you're looking for more information about macular degeneration, check this link:
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Hubby got me an amazing, HEAVY bird bath for my birthday. I've been wanting one for years, since the tacky plastic one we had back in Utah, but I didn't want a plastic one. I wanted something with some heft, some muscle, something that looked old and could resist a wind.
Well, this one came in two parts (bath and pedestal), and weighs over two hundred pounds.
I love it. Thank you.
My boy got me the new Fall Out Boy CD. I knew they were back together, but didn't know they'd put out a new CD. He heard about it months ago, and he's been waiting for the chance to give it to me. I love his thoughtfulness.
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Still no word from the Landlord. Day 11 and counting. Goodness.
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And now, let's see if I can find something truly awful on the home decor/paneling/wallpaper front:
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| Wow, that's practically transcendental in its craziness! Talk about new heights! |
