Saturday, March 13, 2021

I Can See Clearly Now (Maybe)

 

I had a feeling my headaches were being made worse by my eyes, and after a visit to my ophthalmologist, that was verified to be the case. At some point, possibly after that concussion a couple years ago, I developed Convergence insufficiency. That's a fancy way of saying my eyes won't work together . It is treatable, though part of that treatment means giving up my big eye glasses-it is just too big a field for my eyes to manage and quickly re-adjust after looking closely at something. I needed a new Rx anyway, so I ordered much smaller frames for them. They should arrive in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I won't look silly-I'm used to seeing myself in much larger specs. I'm just so relieved to at least have one thing easily dealt with. That's probably not going to solve everything, but gosh I'm just so excited to think maybe I won't be having migraines for days at a time and have those upsetting dizzy spells. 

It was a two hour appointment because she also needed to check my vision fields and do an exam to make sure the plaquenil I take for my autoimmune issues wasn't making me blind (it can do that, though it is rare at the dose I take). Everything else looked great, so that's very good news because I wouldn't want to be switching medications right now. If you're in the Omaha metro area and need the name of a fantastic ophthalmologist, let me know. Because the office is in the Nebraska Medical Center, the Covid precautions were in place, and enforced by a uniformed guard at the door-so no covidiots and their nonsense. It is a shame they have to go to that length to get people to follow the rules and wear masks, but what can I say? At this point nearly all the medical workers in Omaha have had their second doses of vaccine. 

We're having some very  welcome rain in Omaha, probably through the week ahead after a serious dry spell that caused several fires around the city and metro. I'm hoping we don't actually get the 5 inches of rain all at once (!) but at this point if it stops the fires, we'll deal with it. A volunteer firefighter died this week fighting a large brush fire in Ft. Calhoun. We've cooled off a bit too, but that's also a relief-it shouldn't be 77 degrees F. in March. 

Sometimes it feels like I spend all my time (and money) at the dentist so when I saw this mask I had to buy it...at Shifty Thrifting

I mean, I've spent a lot of money on these teeth and I just want people to know they're there, even if they can't see them under masks!
Isn't this hand-knit vest bonkers? Love cats, although I'm too allergic to have one.
I was dressed for a day of chores starting with scouring the tile in the shower. We have very hard water in Omaha with lots of lime deposits. We recently had the kitchen faucet replaced as the deposits were literally eating through the plating. I know things are made cheaply now, but I'd never seen anything like that before, even on the farm where we had well water. The shower needs grouting, so I guess that's in the future. 
It is now officially over a year since I've been in a thrift shop-and I still have plenty of things to wear. After I get my vaccines, I might consider a trip to a Goodwill, just for the fun of it, but I'm going to be much more selective in the future about purchases. It is just too easy to keep bringing things home at .49 cents or a dollar. I know it adds up too, even the bargains. Danny wants to take a school trip to France next year with his class (by 2022 we should be safe to travel) and I might as well start socking away a bit of money for it. It isn't cheap, but I do think those experiences are good to have when young. Since he never asks for anything, I'd like to be able to do something nice for him. 

So this outfit is something I'd never have done if I weren't stretching my wardrobe-but I like it. The skirt is a thin cotton -strictly summer or early autumn, but with our warm weather streak, I gave it a try with a wool poloneck and cardigan. My legs rarely get cold, and I was perfectly comfortable in this combination. Until that evening-when our temperature plunged 30 degrees by evening. Ah well, that's the American Midwest for you. 
Aren't the tiny sailboat brooches adorable? They were homemade, and a gift. 
Not my monogram, but who cares? I need to get the handle replaced before the bag falls apart. That's next on my chores once things get back to something like normal. We'll never really be normal again, will we? That's OK-our normal had a lot of faults. We've all been forced to reexamine our lives and the way we do things this year. 
A I type, Danny tells me from looking at radar and weather station reports that there's a large storm about an hour to our west headed towards us with heavy downpours. There's a good chance we might lose power, so I'll keep this short tonight. 

 I hope everyone is well and staying safe. 







10 comments:

Bibi Maizoon said...

Glad to hear your eyesight and migraine situation will be improved! I am glad it wasn't nerve damage from the sinus bleaching fiasco.
When I had my eye exam in Miami in 2018 I was told my eyes are no longer correctable by external lenses. Yup, contacts and or glasses don't work on my eyes any longer. and I would need a refractive lens exchange (the yank the old rigid natural lens out of your eye and insert a new synthetic one.) I was all scheduled to get it done in Prague in March 2020 when the great plague hit. As of September 2020, we were no longer able to get contact lenses here in Nepal so I have been making due with poorly fitting and moderately corrective eyeglasses. This is miserable, I do feel like Mr Magoo!
The "Bye Fuckers" t-shirt ensemble certainly fits my current mood!
Stay safe!
XOX

Beth Waltz said...

Nothing like a big dose of hope to give one energy to tackle Life! It's good to read that you've found a doctor who "understands your case". Whatever form the new glasses take, you'll wear them with flare! (Or not, as you prefer. If you were ever to offer autographed 8x10 glossies, I'd like that last farewell pose...)

My mum forbade wearing more than one piece of jewelry with a casual outfit (not counting watch and wedding band), but I'm sure she'd have seen those sailboats and gull as a single ornament on your creamy cardi with leather buttons. Blending soft leather bag, belt and loafers with crisp white top and socks, creates a chocolate icing for a skirt that melts butter and brown sugar into delicious swirls. I like it, too!

Emily said...

What a relief it is to get some answers from the ophthalmologist! I'm sure your new eyeglass frames will look great. You have the kind of face that would suit just about every size and shape of frame.

A celebratory trip to Goodwill is definitely in order when you're fully vaccinated. You're lucky to have 49 cent items there. The prices here are much higher (though still a bargain compared to retail).

It'll be so much fun to go to France. Dan is already having fun with languages, and there's no better way to learn than to immerse oneself in a foreign country.

Polyester Princess said...

I'm glad to hear your eyesight problem has been detected and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your new - smaller - glasses will sort out the problem and get rid of those horrible migraines and dizziness!
Your "teeth" mask, which made me chuckle and obviously I'm loving the bonkers cat vest :-)
Hard water can be quite a nuisance. Unfortunately we're having the same problem in our area.
As for thrifting, although I'm still going for regular rummages, I am trying to be more selective too. Have only been to my beloved Think Twice once or twice this past year, so that makes quite a difference.
Keeping my fingers crossed for Danny's trip to France in 2022. It will be the most amazing experience for him! xxx

bahnwärterin said...

wish you that the new glasses will do the trick!
sweet cat vest! love the cotton skirt - gorgeous print and colors. thanks for reminding me of white socks - they scream "spring" to me.....
youth is the right time for traveling - good for danny to go to france and see an other piece of the world then the US.
how was the storm?
xxxx

Vix said...

That must be such a relief that there's a reason behind those migraines. I hope those new specs sort your problems out.
The print on your skirt is fabulous and I'm already excited that Danny might be travelling to France soon. xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

I'm so glad you now know the cause of your migraines and dizzy spells. I look forward to seeing you in smaller glasses! I expect it will need a period of readjustment just like switching from bifocals to varifocals. Eventually you get used them...

Loved the cat vest and the sailing boat pins were so beautiful. What a lovely gift.

Hope you've not had 5 inches of rain in one day/night but it sounds as if it is sorely needed.

I'm with you on the not buying things in the charity shops just because they're cheap. I am guilty of that too and need to stop it. I aim to buy what I need and what I absolutely love. It's not like either of us are going to run out of clothes is it? Anyway enjoy your future trip to Goodwill!
xxx

Señora Allnut said...

Hope that your new specs make a difference. Glad that you had a great appointment with a good ophthalmologist, as finding a good professional who listen to you is like finding Gold!.
Your 'Teeth' mask has put a smile on my face!. Now I need a smile design on my mask as nobody has seen it since september (except Mr.A.). And your cat vest is really cute!.
You look fab in your full skirt and cute cardi with those amazing brooches, they're lovely!. I've been also missing thrifting but realized that my wardrobe is more than enough to keep me entertained and dressed up for ages. So totally understand your decission on being more selective. I'll try to shop only when I find something better than what I already have (Sheila's tip!)
besos

Goody said...

@Bibi
That's awful-I had no idea that could even happen. The virus can't last forever, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed you can be on the first plane out when they resume doing surgeries. After the last couple years you're definitely due some good ones.

@Beth
I've done the tasteful-minimalist style when I was working in offices in the 80s. I hope I never need to do it again (the minimalism-I'm generally OK with offices).

@Emily
The shock of seeing this much of my face, and with stronger magnification has been...not good. There's going to be an adjustment period, but at least the headaches seem to be easing, so that's definitely worth it.
Danny pretty much taught himself French, and was already well situated when he started high school. He's currently teaching himself Russian for no reason other than he enjoys these outrageous videos where daredevils do things like leap out of cars seconds before a train hits! I mean, there's worse reasons to study a language-maybe? He's good at languages. We had a zoom meeting with the teachers that will be leading the France trip and it sounds like a rather good visit they have planned.

@Ann
I've had the new specs for a couple days and while I hate how they look, they do seem to be helping. I could read the type on a bottle of shampoo, which is something I couldn't do before. I guess I hadn't realised just how bad my vision was getting generally. They eye exercises seem pointless, but time will tell if they help.
To prepare Danny for France I downloaded some French pop music for him to listen to . Unfortunately, all I'm familiar with is kind of dated-but he was amused by Johnny Halladay!

@Beate
Thank you. The storm was intense, but no flooding near me-people near the river had a mess.
Danny is ready to quit the US, but that's typical of most young people. He's good with languages, and interested in other people so maybe he'll do something with that. It is amazing to me how people in the US are almost proud of not speaking a second language.

@Vix
I really, really hope this will fix it-headaches are bad enough but the dizziness has really been debilitating.
The trip is much more affordable than expected (those group school trips get a good rate) so if all is virus free come summer of '22, we're planning to send him. Group tours are good for a first visit because you get to see/do a bit of everything. He's never flown before, so it should be exciting.

@Vronni
So far, the glasses have been easy enough to adjust to for vision-after half an hour I forgot I had them on. I don't care for how they look, but at this point, I need to put vanity aside and think of them as therapeutic. I hadn't noticed just how bad my vision was getting. Good thing the frames are smaller, lightweight wire rims because my new lenses are thick as the bottom of a wine bottle and heavy!

@Senora Allnut
If anyone can make a creative mask it is you. I wish I had your artistic sense.
I was very lucky to have a good ophthalmologist.
Take care!

Mim said...

Fingers crossed the new glasses do the trick; those migraines do sound ghastly.

I hope Danny's able to go to France - Europe's currently going into a third wave of covid so I'm not currently hopeful that we'll get to go to Spain this year. But at least if you have the savings, the cash will be there no matter what the 'rona is up to.