Can I See ?

Not just yet, at least not clearly. I went into this surgery a little on the negative side thinking that if it went well I'd be happy and if it didn't, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

Last Wednesday was a bit of a blur. I hate hospitals generally having spent way more time in them than most people my age. Some are better than others and this one was pretty good. When I arrived I was treated kindly which in itself is a treat. I was given a gown and then seated in a pretty comfortable recliner and covered with a warmed blanket, wow.

The anesthesiologist arrived to get the IV line started and shortly afterward the doctor arrived to discuss the procedure and make a mark over my right eye. I walked into the OR hopped onto the table and again was covered with a nice warm blanket. They hooked me up to various monitors and that's the last thing I remember other than a slight pressure on my eye when I woke up.

Forty five minutes later my husband was able to take me home. I had to go back the next day to take the patch off and the doctor told me he considers the operation a success. Still blurry though, how come? Well says he, the healing process is about six to eight weeks and he truly thinks my vision will come back. He also said I can drive whenever I feel like and I'm going to have to on Tuesday when I go back for another checkup. No flying for a while though so sorry offspring, I won't be coming to Calgary for a little while.

I keep checking my eye from time to time and I do think it's better than it was before so maybe it was a success. For the time being there is no knitting, very little reading and hardly any computer stuff. I allow myself about half hour a day in 10 minute increments. Not really enough time to visit all my friends but I'm sure you all understand...I hope.

One Down, Two To Go

The eye surgery was this morning and I'm told it went well. I'm a little dozey and headachy right now so this just a quick post to say I'm alive and survived. Tomorrow the bandage comes off and well see how well I can see. I have been warned that recovery is 6 to 8 weeks.


Next on the agenda of surgeries is my foot for which I see the surgeon next month and after that my right hip. It has been bothering me for about six months mildly and all of a sudden it went completely bad.

That's it for today, I'm off to bed... I don't think I can watch Survivor tonight, sigh.

Highway of Heroes

Support for the mission in Afghanistan amongst Canadians, this one included, is razor thin these days and most other NATO countries want to get out as well. Fox News airing the show (from my last post) and not immediately apologizing to Canadians just makes this worse. When will they start making fun of the other NATO countries that are there to help America or is it just Canada that they hate? Canadians are outraged and rightly so. We know that not all Americans share this view but unfortunately there are many who do.

Canadian soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan since late 2001 and for the past four years fighting and dying in one of the most dangerous parts of the country and trust me, I doubt manicures and pedicures are part of their routine.

This afternoon at 2:00 PM, four more Canadian Soldiers are being repatriated at CFB Trenton, Ontario and will make the long trek along the Highway of Heroes to the Coroner in Toronto. Overpasses along the route will be full of ordinary people, police and firefighters all holding the Canadian flag proudly.



Even though I have never agreed with this war and would like nothing better than to see our military out of there, I am immensely proud of them and cry for their families. I agree with our Prime Minister, this is a war than cannot be won.

On The Day Four Canadian Soldiers Died In Afghanistan

For those who couldn't see the original video, here is the Youtube version. This is now being reported on the main stream media.


This was shown on Fox News on the same day four of our soldiers lost their lives fighting America's war!


This from the "most powerful country in the world"!!!

Nice to know what they think of us...

Something To Smile About

I got the best birthday present evah...

The retinal surgeon told me this morning that yes, he can operate on my eye and make the scarring go away. It has been a scary time because I've been legally blind (20/200) in the right eye since early January. The surgery was my only hope.

Meanwhile I found this little video here and it made me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.

Tomorrow's The Day

Tomorrow I find out if surgery is possible to correct the macular pucker that came out of nowhere in January. Yes January, that's how long I've been waiting and I hope it's not too late. If there is a God out there I have to wonder what else is coming my way. People keep telling me that God only gives you what he/she thinks you can handle, well guess what...I'm done. I have been pushed so close to the edge these past two years since my Mom died I swear one more thing will just send me over.

So keep your fingers crossed (toes too) that all will be well tomorrow.

Meanwhile the garden is showing signs of life and I harvested some pussy willows yesterday. They were the plumpest since we put this bush in five years ago.

For my birthday my orchids obliged by being in full bloom and there was a new addition to the family. I've got five orchids now and I'd better stop collecting, my poor neighbour has to take care of them for two months every year.




And this little beauty...well that is an Amaryllis from a year ago. Usually I toss them out when they're done blooming but this one I kept and lo and behold I got it to bloom again this year. It pleases me that I could do that.

Oh yes, I blew out all the candles on the cake in one go...

Oh The Stress... We're Having A Party

This morning I looked like this...

By noon this is what I looked like...

I'm not sure I did the right thing but it's a little late now. The reason for this drastic step? It's my birthday on Saturday and we're having a party, a big party. After I get a little make up on and some nicer clothes, well we will see, maybe I'll get used to the new look.

It was a last minute decision to celebrate this year and all my friends and neighbours are coming. Last year was my first birthday without my Mom and in spite of it being the big 60, I simply couldn't celebrate.

Now it's time...

Closing Shop - Temporarily

This blog was never meant to be a place for me to whine about health. I realized that in the last year or so most of my posts have been about exactly that.

This past week has been particularly bad and as I'm trying to recover from a particularly nasty chest cold I got some more bad news. Seems my right hip and left knee are on it's last leg so to speak and I'm looking at many surgeries in my immediate future. Let's see, there is the eye, the foot and now added to the mix are the right hip and knee. My left hip which was replaced four years ago doesn't work as good as it should either. I'm going to start a six day course of high dose Prednisone this week and if that doesn't work the next course of treatment is low dose chemotherapy to try and stop the rheumatoid arthritis from causing more damage.

Then there is still Steve's hand to worry about which will need surgery. We'll find out later this month when that will happen.

This has depressed me to no end and I find I have very little interest in much else. So I'm going to temporarily stop posting here since I don't have anything intelligent to say anyway.

I will however not give up knitting and will continue posting on my other blog whenever there is some new knitting happening.

I hope this feeling of doom and gloom is temporary but for the moment I see my glass as half empty and that is very unusual for me. March being my birthday month is usually my happiest time. Hopefully I'll get my mojo back soon...

I Am Alive - Sort Of

I just don't feel very alive at the moment. I am though busy trying to recover from a cold/flu, whatever...even though I had a flu shot. This is the second time in two months I've been sick. This is also the second time in two months I'm missing a bridge evening with our friends. I sent Steve off on his own so they wouldn't be short a player. Last month I was down with a migraine and couldn't go. It sucks being busy being sick...I'm off to bed.