Eye-Yai-Yai

 

Relatively shorter post today, as my eyes are still very chemically dilated and computer work is not as accomplish-able for a few hours until the drops wear off.  Overall, the appointment went fine:

• Eye pressures, optic nerve appearance, retinal blood flow, rentinal health, and macula health all remained strong to which the clinician congratulated me.  
• My distance vision was virtually unchanged.  I am extensively myopic, but fortunately for me, the strength of the concavity of the lenses I require for correction has remained virtually identical for the last 15 years or so.  
  
• I spoke with the clinician about my reading glasses prescription, and she noted that in the last go-around we had aimed for a distance that was considerably closer than my typical distance for reading papers, books, etc and for computer work.  She had me test again using a greater distance from my face.... a distance that felt comfortable holding a book and in grading a paper, and was also within the scope of distance for typical computer use.  With this adjustment, my reading prescription HAS changed.... not because my eyes have.... but because the distance used for attaining fine focus.... has.  These will be reflected in my future glasses, happily!
• Back in 2019 the clinician first MENTIONED to me that she saw signs of cataract development in the clarity/opacity of the lenses of my eyes.  At that time, she said there was absolutely no cause for concern as the transparency and trans-luminosity were still within wholly normal ranges. Today, she reported that the readings had NOT changed from that previous reading so... on that score, I am doing well also.  She said there is absolutely no need for any form of treatment nor surgery at this time.    

So, I am going to now head off and do manual tasks (not computer tasks) by working in the labs and sorting and cleaning.  It seems a more comfortable way to use my eyes to get some work done in their dilated condition.  

• I only was able to hoof out 5.1 miles (~8 km) this morning because I had to clean up and get to the eye appointment (truth be told, I was also a damn lazy sloth, and did not roust myself out of bed until 6:15.  
• To amend my sloth-like ways, I now have plans to finish hoofing out the other 5-7 miles on the U track this afternoon.  I damn well expect the dilation to have worn off by then... fingers crossed... so I can see more clearly while I run.  I brought my running clothes and shoes in a duffle bag.  
• As is my norm (to the humorous eye-rolling of my family), I wore my typical "ensemble" to the clinicians office..... khakis, button-down, long sleeve shirt, tie, sport coat, hat..... the usual.... even though it is Summer and I am not teaching... and usually wear more casual attire.  I do wear the full sport-coat ensemble to every doctor's appointment regardless of time of year or what I am doing a) to show that I care about the visit to my clinician and his/her work, b) during the regular part of the academic year, it is what I am usually wearing anyway to teach, but honestly, also c) I do this because I have seen some clinicians (especially M.D.s) who are rather somewhat dismissive of folks, especially more "aged" folks who wear more casual attire.  I do not want to get treated like I am a tottering old imbecile (like I have seen some clinicians DO to some of my extended family) who does not deserve detailed explanation of their health status and does not deserve appropriate treatment options.  
• Well, so.... I had on my "teaching" ensemble when I stopped this morning at the place I sometimes pick up a coffee or other beverage on my way in.  I had not worn this sport coat in a while, and I was rummaging around in the pockets to see if there was any change, and I found one of my pipes in the pocket where I must have left it on one of the days in the last couple of months when I wanted to carry around a pipe like a pacifier.  
• I pulled the pipe out of my pocket along with some of the loose change I was actually trying to extract.  The counter lady (whom I have know for many years) said to me, "Oh, you are back to smoking your pipes again?"  I grinned at her ruefully, and said in the best rendering I could muster of the voice of Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof), "No, I am not. But from your lips to God's ears." as I gave her the remaining few coins needed to get my coffee.  

Enough trying to type.  Off to sort and clean for me!      

PipeTobacco