Monday, February 18, 2013

The Big Day

The big day has finally arrived. Mom will have her first cataract surgery done this afternoon. Since starting the eyes drops three days ago, she has asked multiple times about what they are going to do and when it is going to happen. I find it difficult to answer her questions and don't know quite how to humor her. At one point she said she thought it would be good to know since it was concerning her, but she just doesn't appear to retain the information. I am not good at lying and so I have been known to pretend I didn't hear or avoid her gaze.

When I was young, my mom was always pretty sharp. I didn't dare try to pull off anything that might get me into big trouble, nor did I think I could long get away with fooling her. She didn't miss much, and sometimes she even filled in the blanks with things that didn't belong. Assuming herself to be an excellent sleuth, she often made wrong assumptions about us or others. Perhaps this is why I prefer to give people a wide berth and go with the benefit of the doubt, the polar opposite of what my mother sometimes allowed. Rather than being confident in others and myself, I am often hesitant and unsure.

I woke Mom "early" this morning in order that she could eat breakfast and take her daily medications. It was 8:05 am when I tapped lightly on her shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked. I smiled and turned silently away. She couldn't have heard me had I answered. I cooked some scrambled eggs and toasted half a bagel, mixed up her coffee, and set half a banana on the table while she dressed and made her bed. Rather than explain why she didn't have a water pill in her medicine cup, I replaced it with a Vitamin D instead. They look the same to her. Perhaps, if I practice, I will eventually catch on to this bit of fibbing...

I will be relieved to have this first surgery behind us. It is the more expensive of the two as we chose to go with a Toric lens for the right eye. It's supposed to fix her astigmatism. She won't need that for the left eye as it isn't as bad. We have two months worth of eye drops ahead of us. That'll have us finishing up right about the end of April, and although I am looking forward to improved eyesight for Mom, in order that she be able to do her puzzles and once again enjoy the birds outside her window, it also comes with a bit of trepidation. I hope her refined visual abilities do not find me regretting her renewed capacity to recognize my failures as a housekeeper, dog groomer, and babysitter.

12 comments:

  1. Hang in there, Martha. It will be so good for her to see better. Don't worry about the dust bunnies. You are AMAZING to me!

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    1. I'm hanging, Mitzi. And those dust bunnies are looking fine! :)

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  2. Why would the limit her water and yet let her eat breakfast before surgery?

    Was she supposed to eat?

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    1. They didn't limit her water intake any different than her food. It was no food or water after 9 am. It was her Furosemide (the water pill) that she was not supposed to take.

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  3. By the time I make this comment...surgery will probably already be finished. I'm praying it went well.

    I'm on my way to the dentist...think I have some infection where the extraction was a week ago...And the beat goes on...

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    1. We are home now. All went well.

      I hope you are feeling better soon.

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  4. You will get use to the little fibs and cheats.
    If it keeps the water smooth and feathers unrumpled, God will surely bless us for making an elder's life easier.
    She's on my evening prayer list along with Dave and the rest of yours.
    love you.

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    1. Last Tuesday at my support group I watched a video on Creating Moments of Joy. One day I hope to get the hang of these pretty little fibs.

      Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated, as are your comments here. I love you, Judi.

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  5. Yeah, it's all good...unless she starts pointing out dust bunnies. lol....

    hope all went well today!

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    1. If she does start pointing out dust bunnies, I'm going to hand her the dustpan. :)

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  6. How is your Mom doing? Hoping all went well for her!!

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