Another Week, Another Surgery

 The title suggests that I'm walking on banana peels, but this time it's just a simple, "look-see" called a 'veinogram' to check the veins in my legs for narrowing or blockages. It's done in-house by my cardiologist and we should be home in time for dinner. 

He is obviously taking no chances with my health.  I like that in a doctor.

I just saw him last week and I'm fine. My numbers are good, but he took the opportunity to offer some encouragement for me to sit further back from my plate.  I took the suggestion seriously and I'm happy to say I've already lost 10 pounds since last week.

The only thing I can't seem to get fixed is my vision.  I never know if it will be a good day or not-so-good day vision-wise until I'm up and about for an hour or so.  To be safe, I still don't drive.  And if I have to go to my grave without ever driving again, so be it.  I'll play on my big screen computer until I can't see it and then wait for "The End."  

Meanwhile, I will keep trying to cook things I don't know how to cook, or maybe paint something I can't see.  I wish I had learned to play the guitar or piano.  But if I can't make music, I can sure listen to it.  Some would consider me lucky to be able to do that...

The Loss of Another Good Friend

One of the saddest parts of growing old is that you are still alive while your family, friends, and salient people in your life pass on before you.  While some may consider it a blessing, others may consider it a sort of curse, or perhaps a God-Given opportunity to get your life together for when you too will come to your end.  

I just lost another good friend - Joe Tom Trunzler.  This is the link to his obituary:  Obituary

But no matter how sweet the words, obituaries only tell a small part of a person's life.  There are both fun and painful moments, mixed into a collection of fear and confusion, love and hate, loss and betrayal, and experiences that cannot be hidden away, never to raise their ugly head.

I knew Joe to be a friend before all else.  We even joked about being 'cousins,' in spite of at least ten generations of people separating us from our latest common ancestors.  At the same time, being 'cousins' gave us a reason to be even closer friends.

The last time I saw Joe, he was a patient in a nursing home.  His fragility was obvious, and there was  little talk between us.  But he knew I was there.  And that's all that matters now.

Goodby Joe.

La Maison des Poulets Gets a Bath

 We're waiting on our neighborhood handyman to pressure wash our house and Coop.  They both get dirty and moldy from the humidity and dirt in the air.  

The last load of dirt was sand from the Saharan Desert and it stuck to the white of the Coop, and brick on the house.  So Handyman Karl has got his hands full today.  

We removed everything we could out of his way so he can see the areas that need new paint..

There's also a board or two that needs replacing with Polywood, which is impervious to the sometimes standing water in the Coop, especially after heavy rain.  It dries fairly quickly, but the wood touching the Coop's concrete floor will wick up as much water as it needs to feed the rot.  

The clean-u/fix-up also gives us a chance to clean out items we no longer use.  Yeah!  Streamlining and Downsizing.  

After Karl leaves, I will pressure wash my Blackstone Grill.  It's going on 8 years old but works fine.  Sweetie wants to replace it with a new stainless steel version.  It sure would be nice. 

Now if the predicted rain will stay away until he is finished.

First Trip Driving With My Scleral Lens

 I've really been wanting to go back to my hometown in Northeast Louisiana to visit relatives and friends, but the fact that I couldn't see to drive kept me here in Covington, relying on my Sweetie to deliver me to doctors and grocery stores.  

During the two and a half years of self-imposed "No Driving" I worried that I may be a bit rusty at it.  So when I finally got the okay to drive, I took only a few short trips.  And I did okay.  But I was still nervous.  

Finall, after a successful, none-eventual 40 mile, multi-stop, different kinds of streets and traffic, I decided to make the trip, all 157 miles of it.  And since most of it was on back roads with minimal traffic, I felt good with it.  And we made it there unscathed but about 30 minutes later than our Google Map said it would take.  Apparently, patience is a necessary side effect of not driving for a long time.  Good...  

We spent two nights at my Aunt's house, saw those we really needed to see, and returned home on the third day.

The drive home was a bit more difficult due to my vision being noticability different after wearing the Scleral Lens for so long each day.  But with a few refreshing eye drops, we made it home safe and sound.

But....  There's always a "But..."  It was days before my eye settled down.  During that time, the eye burned whether I had the Scleral Lens in or not.  So I slept a lot rather than endure the burning sesation.  I'll probably need to have conversation with my Optomatrist. 

As for the purpose of the trip and the impression we left with, we were greatly saddened by learning that my Aunt letting us know that she will be leaving her home of 70 years and moving to Alabama to live with her daughter.  She understands the need to gobut wishes she could stay there.  She is such a wonderful person that her friends and neighbors will miss her.

My younger brother, Billy Joe, said he would love to see us but he was leaving tow with a friend.  I'm not sure that;s the reason he didn't want us to visit.  According to my brother Charles...  well, let's just pass on it.

But our visit to my brother Charles, also resulted in visiting with his daughter, Kellie, and her daughter, Jessica, a delightful 13 year old we had never met.  I especially enjoyed our conversations with her.

We also visited my Mom and Dad's graves, my Grandfather and Grandmother's graves, My Sister's grave, My Aunt Helen's grave, and my Aunt Irene's and Uncle Charle's graves.  Mostly to say goodbye.

But our Friens, Joe and Mary Jean, were obviously worn down from their son's death and their beloved home burned to the ground.  Joe was also placed in a nursing home due to a stroke.  They are still friends, of course, but their lives are now focused on day to day survival of two horrible events.  They will never ve the same as we knew them.  We can only wish them well in their remaining years.

Finally, my life-long friend Emmilee, was still her bubbly self.  But she was making ready to leave to go north for a Mother's Day visit with her son's family.

From there, we drove straight home.  The trip home seemed further, as if we were leaving my old hometown for the last time.  And now that I'm 'home' in Covington, I'm certain that it was our last visit there.  Even so, we still have ancient memories to fall back on when needed.

Driver's License Renewal

 Given that my vision was so bad for the past two and a half years, I could not, nor would I have even attempted to drive a car.  Yet I still had my driver's license.  Occasionally, I could see well enough to drive but I never knew when my only good eye would blur to the point I could not read highway signs.  But a couple of months ago I felt like I could drive to the local hardware store about four miles away.  I did, but my wife had to drive the return trip.

And so it became a frustrating waiting game to see if my final option, a Scleral Lens, would give me back my vision when all other attempts did not.

Meanwhile, my driver's license was due to expire in a few weeks.  I started to get nervous and kept trying this and that doctor until I finally ended up in an optometrist's office.  She specialized in Scleral Lenses.  And for the past four months, she has tried everything she could, including ordering multiple 're-shaped' lenses, each offering a slightly better result.

I'm wearing my fifth lens while waiting on my sixth and probably final lens that will get my vision about as close as it will ever be.

Meanwhile, yesterday morning, I woke to a very good vision day.  And I decided it was a good day to visit the driver's license office.

I had already armed myself with completed forms from my doctors attesting to my visual acuity being 20/40, the minimum for being issued a driver's license.  So I asked my wife to drive me to the state's driver's license office in Bogalusa about an hour north of us.  The local office here is always crowded and uncomfortable.  I thought Bogolusa would not be so stressful.

We both returned home with renewed driver's licenseSeconds. Judy's was easy, but mine was complicated, and even with the doctor's certification, the very nice agent gave me every bit of slack she could without pressuring me.  I still could not read the numbers.  She asked if I bought my Scleral Lens, which I did, and told me to install the lens.  I installed it right there at her counter.  

I promptly read the numbers to her.  And just like that, I qualified for my driver's license renewal.  

It was more than the stress of worrying about passing the tests, it was a validation of my vision returning to me so that I could live a normal life.  

No, I didn't drive home from there.  And today the eye is painful from the stress yesterday. But I hope to drive to the grocery tomorrow.  It has been a long time since I thought I could do that.

A very special thanks goes to the nice lady at the driver's license office for being patient with me.  I wish all government employees could follow your example when dealing with those of us who have challenges that we wish we didn't have.

Vision Update as of Today

 I met with the Glaucoma Specialist today to see if my eye pressure was stable and within range.  It was and I was greatly relieved.  Thrilled even...

The three kinds of eye drops I'm taking daily are my best bet to keep the pressure stable enough to wear glasses to see well.  In fact, well enough to pass the driver's license visual exam next week.  And if asked, I can submit a signed Vision Examination Form DPSMV2301 from the doctor saying I tested 20/40 while wearing corrective lenses.  That should be enough for me to renew my driver's license.   

As for driving, I haven't driven for over two years.  And prior to that I only drove locally to the tune of about 3,000 miles.  And most of that was short trips to doctors' offices and grocery store.  My wife drives everywhere we need to go.

But with me getting the Scleral Lens, my driving will pick back up.  Already, the Scleral lens has proven successful, and I can easily see the stars at night (something I really missed) and my beloved computer screen where I spend many hours.  But I can also see well enough to make sawdust.  Just yesterday, I finished making two of my popular Cathedral Birdhouses.  The two I made yesterday turned out beautiful.

But I'm also getting back into my cooking hobby.  But this time I'm armed with some skills in baking bread that I didn't have before.

And with the eye problems slowly being fixed, I can truly say I feel great going into my 82 birthday coming up in a month.  All my doctors say I'm doing well.  And believe it or not, I'm putting in some heavy-duty exercise on my Total Gym and both 5-pound and 10-pound dumbells.  Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm puffing up some arm and leg muscles.  And feeling great about it.

Now I'm looking forward to visiting my hometown.  Maybe soon...

Th

Bread Udate

 I've been having a good time baking bread now that I actually have a recipe I can repeat with success anytime I like.  It's the Amish White Bread recipe Sweetie found on the Internet.  

But she's had enough Amish White Bread and wants me to bake some rolls or biscuits for a change of pace.  Now that know I can make good Amish White Bread, I should be able to find a recipe that I can make work for us.  Worth a try.

Scleral Lens Update

I'm updating my Scleral Lens adventure while actually wearing the fifth temporary lens.  Tomorrow will be two weeks since they ordered the sixth lens that Dr. Agnew thought may be a better fit.  They may call today to tell me the lens has arrived.  But I may not be ready to try it on.  For the past three days, I've had a heck of a time seeing anything, even with eyeglasses.    With my driver's license due to expire in May, I'm getting nervous about the eye test.  Two doctors said I tested to 20/40 visual acuity.   But I struggle to read or see everything, close up or distant.  If only my vision would settle down, I think I see better, but it seems to change from better to worse and back to better, depending on whether I'm inside or outside or in sunlight or shadows, or when I put artificial tears drops in my eye.  I suppose we'll see soon enough (pun intended.

Scleral Lens

 For the past two months, my latest eye doctor has been getting my hope up that "this one will be the right one" as to fitting the Scleral Lens.  Yesterday's visit was to try on the 5th lens.  Like the others, it fit well, was comfortable, and gave me hope.  But she decided to order another one due to a small bump on my eye surface that may be leaking tears into the space between the Scleral Lens and my Iris.  And the oily tears are clouding the fluid.  

But she told me to start wearing the 5th lens so I can get used to cleaning, inserting it in my eye, and removing it each day.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to be wearing it at home.  I must have read 50 car license plates for no other reason than I could actually read them,

And I couldn't wait this morning to insert the lens into my eye myself.  It went well and I was quite proud of myself.  I only wore it for five hours.  And I hated to take the lens out, but it was best.

Tomorrow, I will stay with the limited-wear program.  I sure don't want to take any chances at this point.

Guns

 Before anyone gets all 'huffy' about the subject, just settle down and read my thoughts first.

At age six my Dad bought me a 410 gauge single-shot, shotgun.  I was thrilled and scared to death at the same time.  But he took the time to show and tell me everything I needed to know to use it properly and safely.  

I can't count the times he told me "I" was responsible every time the gun fired, including when, where, and what it was aimed at when it fired.  He emphasized the "responsibility" point so much that I still remember it more than anything else seventy-five years later.

I never killed anything with my gun, but I did shoot myself a few years later.  Yes, I dropped my 22 caliber rifle in 1953 and it went off grazing my shoulder.  Another inch or two and I probably would have died from the shot before they could get me to the closest doctor due to the flood and romoteness of where we were.

That incident didn't set well with me.  Not only could I have been killed, but I could have killed someone else.  I think it was then that I lost interest in owning a gun.

But seven years later I was in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri being trained to kill people with my M-1 Rifle.  Every soldier in the Army, no matter what job they will eventually do, must first become a 'Basic Infantryman,"  And they MUST be able to do it because the enemy is trying hard to kill us as we are them.  That sort of made sense, but, "why did we have to be at war in the first place?," lingered heavily in my mind.  I was just a soldier, so I did what I was told/ordered to do.

My brief time in Vietnam never exposed me to danger, but I could hear the war going on in the hills north and west of DaNang Air Force Base.  I didn't worry about having to shoot someone because there were lots of armed soldiers there who would probably shoot before I even figured out what was going on.  But once again, I took a strong dislike to guns, no matter their purpose.  They just seemed unnecessary in today's world.  With the exception, of course, during the war.  But in peacetime???

I'm now 81 and have never desired to own a gun.  I'm not paranoid about being killed with a gun by some criminal or angry nut-case or even in a gun accident.  I just try my best to stay away from guns and those with guns.  They make me nervous.

I happened on this YouTube video of an interview between a responsible news person and a responsible gun owner.  They were not arguing the merits of gun ownership.  Quite the contrary, they support gun ownership.  But as they talked it dawned on me that too many Americans are purchasing guns for the wrong reasons - they are frightened.  And after listening to their discussion, I can understand why.  

I'll leave it up to you to form your own opinion as to what they are saying.  But for the first time in my life, I personally don't feel safe around my fellow citizens.  

Here's the link to the interview.

Guns In America

Scleral Lens Update

 As I have mentioned many times over the past three years, I have glaucoma in my only good eye.  And not only is my vision blurry, mostly caused by the pressure in my eye but also because the eye drops have only recently got the pressure stable enough to take the next steps toward wearing glasses again.  I've already tried five new pairs of glasses, but they didn't fix the problem enough for me to watch TV or drive a car.

But one of the many doctors suggested I visit an optometrist who specializes in complex vision problems.  She immediately suggested a Scleral Lens.  It's a hard contact lens that covers all the eye's damaged areas, holding a sterile solution under the lens to keep the eye wet all day.  It's more complicated than that, but I've tried on the first and second lenses and it not only gave me hope but lifted my spirits.  It's common to have to make multiple lenses until they fit perfectly.

A few minutes ago the doctor's office called to say the third version has arrived and I have an appointment in two days to see if this is the one that does the job.  If not, they will make another and another until I can see.  I'm really excited about this visit on Thursday because the last two visits completely eliminated any fears or concerns that I will soon be blind.

If you are curious about Scleral Lenses, click here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCc6cvD_X3w

Good Visit With My Cardiologist Today

I had been looking forward to my appointment with my cardiologist today.  This was like a check-up to see if I'm okay.  

He asked me if the Radio Frequency Ablation surgeries on my legs were working.  And I was able to answer an enthusiastic "Yes."  He noted that the formerly swollen legs looked fine and told me to keep doing what I'm doing.

Also, my heart and lung sounds were clear and strong, as were my aorta and other noise producers.    Even my EKG was perfect.

I also pointed out that I had lost 15 pounds, had returned to my exercises. And I had started seeing a therapist for my troublesome bladder.  And I was getting a Scleral Contact lens any day now for my good eye.  

I had given him one of my Christmas Cathedral Birdhouses just before Christmas, for "Saving my life." He came through the door thanking me for it.  He said his wife and daughter loved it.  

I see him again in two months.

Sweetie and I had not had lunch so we decided to celebrate with a Mexican lunch, and me a very large margarita that tasted wonderful after three weeks of not having alcohol.

Our good fortune did not stop there.  On the way to the restaurant, we went through a neighborhood with schools.  And, you guess it, Sweetie got stopped for 30 in a 15 mph school zone.  The Policeman was nice and reminded her of the school zone times, but let us go on.  Lesson learned, again...

And now we're tired and I'm about three winks from falling asleep.  But it was a good day.

Buc-ee's

 Growing up in Harrisonburg, Louisiana in the 1940s and '50s was, I suppose, not that much different than people growing up anywhere.  We didn't give it much thought.  After all, it was a very small town in a very rural part of the state, and although it had an old Civil War Fort where bullets flew, it was pretty boring.  The town had been there for a long time and even prospered after WWII.  But growth seemed stimmed by the people leaving for greener pastures..  

Families would sometimes move to town for a while, and then move on.  The population remained fairly steady at just under 600.  And as soon as I graduated high school in 1959, I also packed my bag and joined the Army.  Surely there was a place for me in the world if I looked for it.

Meanwhile, one of those families, the Arch Aplin's, decided to pack up and head to Texas.  And just like that, the town was one family less than it was the day before.

My only connection to the Aplin's was that Arch Sr. married my grandmother Hazel 'Terry' Mcmillin's sister, Mae 'Terry' Aplin, Arch III's grandmother. 

But the Aplin's had a plan and they designed their life to make it work for them.  And the plan came together in a remarkable way as Arch Aplin III gradually grew into the goal.  He opened a small store and named it Buc'ee's.

As I began writing this post, I was wearing my Buc'ee's T-shirt, silently celebrating with the students at my old school in Harrisonburg as they recognized the family that became a familiar name to travelers driving through Texas.

This article in the Shreveport Times sums up Buc'ee's story quite well.  It's worth a read, just as stopping at Buc-ee's is well worth the stop.

https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2023/01/13/a-boys-dream-that-began-in-louisiana-became-the-buc-ees-phenomenon/69804135007/?fbclid=IwAR15ps7mgSUH8dRVTzUZg0lkkwn8F_mlWmD8y207ooSD9W7cFXf8i-xufs4 

Scleral Lens May Be The Answer

 It is no secret that I've had my share of eye problems over the years.  Not all were able to be corrected.

My current concern is glaucoma in my only 'good' eye.  Yeah, the right eye got infected during cataract surgery about twenty years ago.  After that, my left eye served me well but gradually started to degrade due to slowly worsening glaucoma and normal aging.  And eventually, there wasn't much else doctors could do about it except to keep trying different eye drops that hopefully would lower my eye pressure to an acceptable level.  They are still trying.

Meanwhile, my glaucoma specialist referred me to another ophthalmologist who had some experience with patients who had similar damage to their eyes.  One look and he couldn't help either.  But he suggested that I go see an optometrist who had some notable success with patients who had eye damage similar to mine.  

The optometrist examined my eye and determined that she thought a Scleral Lens, a custom-made contact lens, might help.  

After some tests to be sure I qualified, she asked me if I wanted to try it.  Well yeah!  But it would be at my own expense and not all of it refundable or reimbursable by Medicare. or any other insurance.  She ordered the lens just before New Year's.

It arrived earlier this week and I tried it three days ago.  Wow!  It didn't hurt like I thought it would.  And things were definitely more in focus.  I knew then this was going to help me see again.  

Just as she had predicted, the lens would have to be re-made to accommodate the new data from an hour of wearing it and additional tests.  

It should be here in less than two weeks.  I can wait, knowing that I've got a very good chance of getting my life back to normal.

Time To Crow A Little

 Three days after Christmas, I weighed more than I have ever weighed in my life.  And if I didn't change something, I would set a new record the next day and the day(s) after that.  So I did something - I went on a low-carb diet.  

Although I was determined to make it work, I was also realistic in my goal, knowing full well that I would eventually cheat on it.  And I did cheat three days ago when I baked some bread for Sweetie's Crows.  She didn't buy bread for us, so the Crows didn't have any old bread to eat.  That's why I baked some bread in my $5 bread machine.

But the bread turned out so nice that I just had to have a small slice.  And a second one.  And some buttered toast.  I finally stopped or the birds would soon have nothing to eat.

Except for that incident and a couple of cookies a neighbor shared with us, I've been satisfied with whatever Sweetie came up with to eat.

Today is January 11th and I'm happy to post that I've lost 12.2 pounds so far, and Sweetie has lost 5 pounds.  

I think we can now set a goal to shoot for.  So by January 31st, I would like to have lost 30 pounds.  

Stay tuned.