When the past comes back to haunt.... and another Thinking Blogger

I haven't discussed this too much here in the past but many of you already know that I am legally blind. I have no vision in my left eye and compromised vision in my right.

I can get around. Can see movement. Can watch TV. I can read with a magnifying glass. The implant in my right eye has given me certain guarantees. That guarantee is that I will always have vision. It might not be the best vision ~ but it's vision.

The reason for my eye trouble is particularly aggressive cataracts. They grew very fast and although I have had one removed, another came along quickly. Generally, cataracts are seen in people much older than me. More on this in a minute...

Last Friday, I went to Dr Bates, the trusty eye doctor who oversees my case. I walked out, finally, with my referral to a surgeon. Within the next few weeks, I will be under the knife once again, having the lens of my left eye removed and replaced with an implant. Dr Bates warned me that I will probably be in surgery for quite a while since this cataract is so overgrown.

Caveat he issued: As long as it hasn't affected my cornea.

If it has, I'm screwed.

Worse case: At least they can blind the eye so that I will be relieved of the glare and the double vision.

Still, we did have an interesting conversation. I asked him to give me a detailed explanation of the cause of cataracts, at least as much as might be known.

He gave me the basics. It is a clouding of the lens that takes place, blah blah blah. Already knew that. The interesting part of the conversation was the cause. Naturally, I wanted to blame it on my weight because I blame everything on my weight. If there's an earthquake in Indonesia, we all know it happened because Chani is too fat! (He corrected that misconception on my part, explaining that I am not heavy enough for that correlation ~ my cataracts, not earthquakes in Indonesia.)

He explained that it is possible nutrition has something to do with it. I was rather startled when he told me that he has rarely seen a case like mine "outside of a third world country."

Well, my chosen home is a third world country ~ but I certainly didn't grow up in one! However, I did spend most of my working life without insurance because I worked as a contractor. So first -, second- or third-world country doesn't make much difference in that case. It's all the same.

Remembering back over the past 20 years or so, especially the years in the desert, I can affirm that my nutrition was terrible. I didn't take multivitamins and the things I chose to eat shouldn't be fed to pigs. I ate whatever was quickest and cheapest. Lots and lots of carbs. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I seriously had no concept of correct eating at all. I never met a vegetable I was willing to eat and hated fruit.

I think when we're younger, we really have no concept of how these choices we make do have long-term consequences. Well, at least I didn't. Somehow, I believed these things would never bite me.

Needless to say, I am now permanently disabused of that notion. Nothing that is not healthy will be finding its way into my mouth any time soon... and the bottles of vitamins in my refrigerator would be shocking to most.

~*

On an unrelated note, I have been offered two "Thinking Blogger" awards from Hearts In San Francisco, a blog I really enjoy and Greens and Cornbread, a blog I equally enjoy. (I also like greens and cornbread. Certainly healthy food, eh? :) Thanks to both of you. I appreciate it very, very much!

Since I have the opportunity to pick five, I want to pick my first one now. (The other four to come another time.) There is a blog I have been meaning to acknowledge for a long time now. The name of it is Doodee's Thailand.

It's one of my favorites for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I know this guy loves Thailand the way I love Thailand ~ with an open heart, open regard and respect. Just recently, he wrote a series of posts on the death of a friend and the funeral. It is touching, respectful and takes us, step-by-step, through the Thai funeral process. It's good stuff. Truly! Please take the time to read it, from beginning to end. You won't regret it. I have linked them in order below:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six


~*

Peace,


~Chani