Training Log Archive: PG

Seemed like the arch had had enough time to mend and so time to see if I remembered how to run. It was very windy, out of the north, so I went to the south part of the Norwattuck map to run the Bachelor Street bike trails, figuring that there would be less wind, and less chance of a tree falling on me, on the south side of the range. And so it was.

Felt a bit like I hadn't run in a long time, legs rather achy, but banged the arch a couple of times and I think it survived OK. Lots of roots and rocks, and leaves covering things, and hard to follow the trails at times. But good to get out, now just have to get back to making it a daily routine.

Time for an update on the eyes --

I was delighted with the progress of the first one done, the left one, where on the close-up test I could read the next-to-smallest line of print, and for distance they could correct me to about 20-30, both a good improvement. Still need to get new glasses, so the far-off vision is still a little shaky. But the close-up, well, I could read the map last weekend a whole lot better than I could have a month ago.

The only concern was that the pressure in the eye rose a little after the operation (10-20 is normal, I'm usually about 19-20), to 23, but then a week later was 40. The doc didn't like that. So he stopped the steroid eye drops I was taking (still taking an anti-inflammatory and an anti-biotic), and added another one to reduce the pressure. Next time I went in to check things the pressure was down to 14. This stuff works.

So the second one, the right eye. Had the surgery Thursday. The surgery itself was similar, low stress, but afterwards, the eye was really irritated, or maybe the correct word is irritating. Plus a bad headache. Still felt terrible when I went to see him yesterday morning, plus worried something was wrong.

But he looked at the eye, gave his verdict, perfect. But also checked the pressure in it, and it was 50. Hmm, not good. Gave that eye a squirt and said come see him this morning.

Sometime yesterday evening, after a pretty miserable day, the dilation of the pupil seemed to have finally worn off, and I tested my up-close vision on the new eye. And damn if it wasn't better than the left one. Seemed just about perfect. Well, that was quite the surprise. And very good for morale as you might imagine.

Off to the doc this morning. Going up 91 I could read the mileage markers lots better than before. At the office, where I think I was his only appointment, felt like my own private doc, he checked the pressure on the new eye, back down to 20, excellent. Checked the close-up chart, can read the very bottom line, excellent.

And he had time to chat, so we chat a little. I tell him about the, by my count, 5 times I have very nearly done serious damage to my right eye:

-- A golf shot a long time ago, thought it would clear the bit of rock outcrop just in front of my ball, it didn't, ricochet hit me right in the right eye, shattered my glasses. Fortunately I blinked at the right moment, so was just picking the pieces of glass out of my eyelashes.

-- Ski racing, downhill training, probably going about 60 down an icy trail up at Sugarbush, following close behind our coach, came around a bend and there was a sno-cat coming up. Coach did a bit of a turn or two to slow down a little. I wasn't in full control and let them run. We both were heading for the gap to the left of the sno-cat. And I just nailed him as he cut across in front of me.

I was wearing a helmut, but I caught him with my right shoulder and right part of my head, and the right lens of my glasses once again exploded. I blinked this time too, but there was still blood all over the place, I had a ring of cuts all around my eye, but none to the eye.

And certainly quick first aid service -- the guy in the sno-cat pulled out his kit, wrapped my head in gauze, and drove both of us down to the bottom. Many stitches later, plus a week to get rid of the double vision, and I was good to go.

-- And then the time I got speared orienteering up in Canada, I was sure there was something in my eye. A close look showed a little brown speck in the inside corner. The EMT pulled out a pair of tweezers, grabbed the speck, and by the time he was done he'd pulled out about a 3/4" long piece of twig.

-- And then orienteering in OCIN-land, getting raked by a strand of multi-flora rose diagonally across the eye, gash on the upper eye lid and cheek. Healed up fine, only about 2 weeks later did I extract the large curved thorn still buried in the eyelid.

-- And, of course, the Cyclops incident, 40 stitches to repair that one.

So he understands that he is not dealing with his usual geriatric…. :-)

And we talk about what he's been doing to my eyes, and his concern from day 1 was that I wouldn't be happy doing the cataracts because there would still be the retina issues. And he says the left retina is the worse one, which is why vision in that eye won't be as good, but he was still very pleased with how it has turned out. And I'm thinking, now that the right seems even better, that this is just wonderful….

Still drops to do for another month, still more office visits, still new glasses to get, but so far the verdict is fantastic. And the doc, well, it's another case of the best possible customer service. The guy is a pro.

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And then one more test. Left the office, headed over to the nearby golf course. Cold (40F), stiff wind out of the north. Took a cart because rain was coming soon and the faster I got around the better.

The course was almost empty. I hit my drive off the first, looked up, watched it, watched it some more, watched it land and bounce. Wow.

An hour and 45 minutes later I was done. I could see the ball again. Whether for that reason, or just pure chance, my game was good, 78 despite bad putting. Freezing cold, but the pleasure was immense.

Life is good.

C • this is awesome news 12

Struggling a bit with the new eye recovery, felt much more so like a large corneal abrasion than the other one did. So pretty miserable last night. Moderately better today but still headaches. The doc, on my morning visit (with the driving supplied by Gail, thankfully), pronounced the surgery "perfect". The word you want to hear.

And also managed to deal with a variety of people and issues and we now have a new water heater. :-) Seems like the old one lasted 24 years, much longer than expected. And the people handling the replacement couldn't have been better.

Got the right eye done, this one with a fancier new lens to deal with a lot of astigmatism. At least that's the plan. Right now everything is very blurry and irritated.

And in other news, doing our best to keep the economy going, though not intentionally. Yesterday it was a flat tire about a mile from the Hartford airport as we on our way to drop off my brother, but it was close enough so he just grabbed his pack and hoofed it the rest of the way. So 4 new tires to be acquired.

And this morning, getting trash together to put out, I discovered that the contents of the water heater were on the basement floor. Splish, splash. So trying to arrange for a new one ASAP. I will say that when you're talking to someone and want them to drop everything and take care of you, it's a great ploy to say, I'd really like to decide on this right now, because I have to leave in an hour for eye surgery. :-)

Seemed to work anyway -- a proposal and contract was at the front door when we got home, and installation is tomorrow. I've been doing business with this company for 30+ years, and nice to see them respond the way they should. Some people do get the notion of customer service.

So back to the eyes, still need to let this one calm down, will be giving it medication for another month, hopefully it will work. And then the last step is new glasses and maybe new contacts. But we are getting there.

And one other development -- the bruised right arch from Sunday. Really hurt Sunday afternoon and night, could hardly walk, but after a lot of icing it was a good bit better on Monday. Still hurts a little, so I haven't run yet, trying to make sure it's healed. But there has been good progress.

And even this did not spoil the fact that Sunday's O' run was really fun.

C • Customer Service 4