Sorry I missed blogging yesterday; the reason is what I’m going to write about today. This is going to be another vision/health edition of Wise Madness. Let’s recap where we were.
Monday: Cataract surgery
Tuesday: Shield is removed from eye and I see 20:25 and not only don’t need my glasses to see my computer but I can set the screen magnification at 100% instead of the 120% I’ve been using for years.
Wednesday: I have to raise the magnification to 120%, still have trouble, and need my glasses to see the computer with the unoperated eye. I called the ophthalmologist and is told that he’d call back tomorrow
Thursday: I still need my glasses to read the computer. I didn’t hear from the doctor and called back, twice. I don’t know if this is a normal response to surgery or something to be concerned with. I was told that If I haven’t heard by noon Friday to call again.
Now we are into new territory. I didn’t hear back by noon so I call at about 12:20. The receptionist I got was terrible. He was officious and had no empathy. He said the messaging system takes 48 to 72 hours. The others said 24 to 48. Even worse, he said Wednesday didn’t count. Huh? So it’s really 72 to 96 hours as you don’t start the clock for a day? His attitude was that I was wasting his time. He said, “You can’t go to an emergency room?” His lack of understanding was epic. He works at a hospital and doesn’t get that patients call to find out if they should be concerned, not because they know it’s an emergency. He didn’t even listen when I told him that my vision was deteriorating. He said, “I’ll send another message that your eye hurts.”
When I deal with customer service people like that I switch into a combative mode. I’m usually very nice with people who have to deal with the public like that. I know it’s tough, people can be difficult. I try to treat them as human beings not automated messaging services. But that goes out the window when instead of seeing my problem they look for ways to blame me for the problem or can’t see that it is a problem. I’m not sure if this is something I want to change, I think perhaps I should. At least I should be nicer when I tell them what they are doing wrong. I don’t feel guilty, he really was wrong, and the contrast between him and everyone else I spoke to was stark.
At 1:00 I leave for therapy. I have to walk 25 minutes to the train station. As I was walking my phone rang. It was the nurse from my doctor’s office. She said that she heard that I called, and I told her that I called four times. She was perturbed as this was the first message she got. When she heard I had been calling since Wednesday she apologized and was perplexed as to why. Her reaction was the opposite of the receptionist. She was great. I explained my problem and she spoke to the doctor. She didn’t say she’s call back, she put me on hold, she took care of it immediately. She got back to me with good news. The drops I use affect my vision. It won’t stabilize until I finish with them. Then I’ll go to an optometrist and get a prescription for reading glasses. Till then I should get a cheap pair at the drug store. I thanked her and told her how well she handled it.
Then I was off to therapy. When I get off the train in Harrison I have an 18-minute wait for the bus. There’s a CVS right there, so I went in and bought reading glasses. I didn’t know what strength to get. I didn’t want them for reading books but my computer. I held a package at what I thought was the right distance and tried out different strengths. I ended up with the weakest one, +125. I bought a pack of three as it wasn’t that much more than buying one. They are not as strong as I’d need if I bought them for reading books. I can read my phone but have to hold it fairly far away. They are fine for the purpose I bought them. using my computer. I’m wearing them now and I dialed the screen magnification back to 100%.
It’s not as great as Tuesday when I didn’t need glasses but it’s still wonderful. It would be even better if I didn’t see a blur out of my right eye. I’m waiting for my brain to shut it off. The idea of getting an eye patch is getting better and better.
Most of my therapy session was devoted to dealing with being able to see. That makes sense as it’s been dominating my thoughts. I managed to get a few other things at the end.
I was torn as to what to do after the session. My plan was to see Deni Bonet at Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar. There were problems. One was that I forgot to bring extra layers of clothes. The temperature was going to drop 15°. The show was at 9 so I decided to go home first and get warm clothing even though that meant not having time to do some shopping I needed.
There was a second issue that proved of more importance. I have this weird cold. Most of the time I’m fine but then my chest will fill will get congested and I have a coughing fit. I’m not sure if I’m any different than anyone else but when I cough people around me, strangers, get concerned. It sounds like I’m dying. On the way home the cold got worse and I decided that as much as I want to see Deni that it wasn’t fair to her and the people in the audience to expose her to my germs. I stayed at home.
Now the dilemma is what to do tonight? I’m supposed to see The Whiskey Charmers. They hardly ever come to New York. I’m doing the merch and we’re going out afterward. Last night after I went to bed the cold took a turn for the worse. The cough wouldn’t stop and I got a sore throat. I sat up in bed to make it stop. I had to sleep that way, as soon as I lay flat the cough started again.
This morning I’m much improved. My throat isn’t sore. But I’m not all better. I’m going to play it by ear. I very much want to see Carrie and Lawrence, the Whiskey Charmers, but I don’t want to risk their health. As I’m on the back half of the cold I’m probably no longer infectious but I’m not sure. If I still feel something in my chest or nose I won’t go. I have all day to get better; there’s no reason to make the call now.
Now it’s time to eat. If things go well I’ll write about the Whiskey Charmers tomorrow. If not I’ll moan about being sick.
Wise Madness 