Monday, January 07, 2013

I See...

Last night I squatted down by Mom's chair and gently reminded her that she had an appointment with Dr. Lerner in the morning. She looked confused. "I don't think I know who that is. Who is that again?" she asked.

"The eye doctor," I told her. Way deep inside, where she couldn't see, I felt my eyes want to roll, but really it made me sad.

"Why do I have to go there?" she balked, "I can see just fine. Who made that appointment?" She was obviously less than thrilled.

"I did" I said. "You haven't been there in three years."

She balked some more. "What are they going to do?" she queried.

"Check your eyes," I said and I walked away. She wasn't any more cooperative about the whole thing this morning, insisting she could see fine, and still not recalling Dr. Lerner, but getting up and dressed in spite of it all. Thankfully she is fairly obedient. ;)

Not everything Mom says or does surprises or baffles me anymore, but Dr. Lerner isn't stored in her short term memory banks. He did my eye surgery forty-five years ago when I was three or four years old. (He was my age then... Go ahead and do the math. I'm 48 now.) She was still confused when we arrived at the office and he hasn't moved any farther than across the hall since I was a child. Thankfully, she appeared to have collected her recognition of him by the time she was called back into the office.

We spent a long time at the eye doctor. Mom's glasses aren't working for her distance vision anymore. No wonder she keeps taking them off and losing them.

"What is this letter?" the doctor asked Mom.

"Is it an E?" she replied.

I heard him chuckle a little when he said, "This is a test." It's not like he could give her the answer and still find out whether or not she could see it. I found myself smiling just a little too.

Mom can still read things that are close, but she really needs cataract surgery. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the worst, she is a 4. As he explained the problem to her, it was obvious that she was not taking it all in. Thankfully, this doctor, who stopped preforming surgeries himself at age 78, has an understanding of "being an old fart and considered useless". "Don't you believe it!" he said. (He obviously has no intention of quitting his practice any time soon...)

I highly doubt that Mom could survive any type of major surgery, but I have been assured that cataract surgery is not a stressful or painful procedure, and since the only activities Mom is still able to enjoy require decent vision, I think interocular lenses are in her near future. She is sure to be hesitant and confused when it actually comes time to have it done. In fact I think she's already forgotten all about it.  Please pray that she will not be too terribly upset with us and that the surgery is highly successful. Maybe afterward she'll even enjoy watching birds outside and doing jigsaw puzzles again.


19 comments:

  1. So glad you took her, and I am praying for her. It IS a good thing she's obedient. I think she knows that we truly have her best interests in mind, the real issue is she doesn't like to "run around" anymore. I can't wait for her to even just have one eye done!

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    1. There is no "like" button here. I like this:
      "I think she knows that we truly have her best interests in mind." It is comforting.

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    2. I've often wanted a like button for blogger. :)

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  2. glad to hear her health will allow surgery!
    That's a day thing isn't it and no anesthetic ?
    prayers, of course!

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    1. He wants her totally unaware of what they are doing, so she'll be put under.

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  3. I'm sure she'll be pleased with how well she can see when it's done! Glad it went well today!

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    1. It was a good appointment. I had James ask her how it went and she told him he said she didn't need any surgery. :(

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  4. If you can get her to consent I think she will be much happier when she can see again.

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  5. Since she loves to read the paper and that is still something she can do, I think it will be great if this gives her some real improvement.

    I have two eye appt. this week. One for an exam. I need distant glasses, and the other is my second claucoma testing.

    Since I can't hear....I sure don't want to lose my sight. Getting old...for the birds.

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    1. Yes, getting old is for the birds, although Dr. Lerner could have you thinking otherwise. He's amazing!

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  6. Trying times for sure, Martha...
    I am sure your Mom will be pleased at the end results..
    Love your new header!

    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Having gone through the broken wrist episode last year, I am doing better with this one. I must be learning.
      :)

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  7. I hope all goes well when she needs to have the surgery. I don't like hearing that she can't remember Dr. Lerner.

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    1. She will be well taken care of. I am looking forward to the day when she can once again see the pieces of her jigsaw puzzles. It will make doing them with her so much more fun. And maybe we'll put some bird feeders outside her window too.

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  8. Martha, I am trying to catch up on your life and return to the world of blogging:-) I will be praying for your Mom. It sounds like this surgery will improve the things that she still loves to do and that is so important. Love you and miss you!!

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    1. Heather, I have been thinking about "accidentally" calling you. :)

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  9. I will so totally pray. Oh - to have compromissed vision is so hard. :(

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    1. She doesn't see m to know just how compromised her vision really is. I don't know if that is a curse or a blessing.

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