Tell 'Em All I'm Out In Vegas, Blowing Every Dollar I Ever Made

Some have probably wondered what has happened to me lately. My last two post were written on January 17th, and I had them scheduled to be posted the following week. I sometimes break up a post that is too long.

But since Tuesday the 19th, I have been incapacitated for a couple of weeks. It has been a long two weeks. On Friday January 15th, I went out to shut the chickens in after dark and noticed a shadow up against my nose. In the full light I didn't notice it, but in low light conditions, I began to regularly notice it. My eye never hurt, just an odd shadow. On Tuesday January 19th at lunch I mentioned it to Sissy, who thought I should go in and see the eye doctor, which I did right after lunch. First, let me tell you, if you go into the eye doctor and tell them you see a "shadow" they will take you straight to the doctor, no waiting. After examining me, he told me I had a detached retina, and I needed surgery that day. It was arranged and a few hours later I had surgery to repair it.

I went back the next day, and while waiting to see the surgeon for a followup, my eye doctor came in to talk to me. I asked him how this could happen. He said living an active lifestyle, jostling around, and given my near-sightedness it just happens. He said he was surprised I didn't see a flash, that usually accompanies it. When he said that, I remembered that I had seen a flash a few weeks earlier in late December, when I was feeding my cows. I jumped of the tractor to open a gate, and landed in a hole and twisted my ankle. Maddie got a picture of it the next day.

The doctor saying that about the flash reminded me that when I twisted my ankle, I did land face first into the ground. At which point I saw a flash, that I thought was associated with the pain of my ankle. I thought I had broken it. I even told several people I thought I was going to pass out, and it was because of the "flash" I saw. But come to think of it, it wasn't like seeing stars associated with pain...that too I have had in my active livestyle. Most memorably hitting my hand with a hammer, etc. At least it made me feel better to associate the detachment with something besides my body falling apart. My doctor seem to think that was what did it.

When they treated me they put a gas bubble in my eye to keep pressure on the detachment. I have had to lay face down (and some on my left side) to "position" the bubble. I had to have a followup treatment last Friday the 29th, to tie up some loose ends, and hope that when I go back this Wednesday, I can get back into action.