NOTE: There are no photos for this post.
THURSDAY 20 and FRIDAY 21 June 2024 — Summer Solstice, cataract surgery (part 2); baby Wild Turkeys, and a ZOOM call
Thursday 20 … The Summer Solstice, and Cataract Surgery (Part 2)
As a child, up to my early teens, I was very interested in star-gazing and mythology, and I eventually in astronomy. The winter and summer solstice and the spring and autumnal equinox have always garnered my attention when they come around each year. While I don’t do anything out of the ordinary on those days, I do try to observe the location of the sunrise and sunset from wherever I happen to be. I am also more aware of the balance of daylight and dark hours on each occasion. And so it was today.
Linda had cataract surgery on her left eye scheduled for mid-afternoon, leaving the morning open to do other things. She wasn’t allowed to eat after midnight, but was allowed to drink clear liquids (including black coffee) up until 10 AM this morning, so our morning started the same way it does most days, minus breakfast. I eventually put on some work clothes, went to the barn, and did a more detailed reconciliation of the Rocker Rock-Steady work table components that were delivered yesterday against the shipping notifications I had received prior to that. We have been dealing with the effects of a significant heat dome, and I wanted to get this done before mid-morning if possible.
Linda’s left eye was very near-sighted, so the doctor implanted a reading prescription lens. She had surgery last month on her right eye, which was already far-sighted, and got a corresponding lens for that condition. This is referred to as “mono vision,” I presume because each eye is adjusted for one (mono) thing.
We had to arrive at the UofMH Specialty Clinic in Brighton (BCSC) 90 minutes before her scheduled time. Because there is major infrastructure construction (road and utilities) taking place between us and the clinic, we took our alternate route. We ended up back tracking due to another construction closure we did not know about, but we still made it on time (just). Not that it mattered; everything was running a bit late and it was 30-45 minutes before she was taken to a pre-op cubicle. She waited there a while even after she was prepped, and I went to the small café in the building to have a quick/light lunch.
She was still in pre-op when I returned, but shortly thereafter they took her to one of the 10 operating rooms, and took me to a waiting room. The actual operation took 10-15 minutes after which she was moved to a post-op/recovery cubicle and they fetched me to join her. They kept her long enough to make sure there were no complications, went over her discharge instructions, and sent us on our way. Like last time, the surgery went well, with no complications, and she could already see better, even with the perforated hard eye shield in place.
Her main restrictions for the next week were: No bending over, no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk, and no rubbing her eye. She had to wear her eye shield until her follow up visit tomorrow and when sleeping for the next week. I fixed dinner, with some guidance from Linda; we had a mixed greens salad, and I cooked onions and plant-based bratwurst. It was all very tasty.
Friday 21 … Baby turkeys, a follow-up visit, and a ZOOM call
Linda’s follow-up appointment with Dr. V (ophthalmologist) was at 09:15, but before we left for the clinic, we spotted two wild turkeys in the back yard with 5 or 6 baby turkeys. These were the first baby turkeys we have seen this season.
Knowing what traffic would be like, Linda scouted out yet another alternate route to the clinic and we left the house with plenty of time to spare. After a quick check-in, she was called into the Kellogg Eye Center clinic to begin the follow-up visit. The perforated eye shield was still in place so the technician removed it to check her vision. Her right (distance vision) eye, which was operated on a month ago, tested 20-20. Her left (near vision) eye, operated on yesterday, tested 20-40 uncovered, and 20-25 with the perforated shield in place. Linda mentioned that Dr. V had implanted a near-vision lens, so the technician rechecked her vision at reading distance and said it was 20-20. Linda has needed cataract surgery for a while just to have clearer vision, but she was also hoping that she would not need glasses after having both eyes done. So far, it’s looking like she might get her wish, but she won’t know that until later in July when her eyes are more completely healed from the surgery. She has worn glasses since she was 7-years-old, so “been there, done that” is how she feels about glasses.
We stopped at the local Panera after the appointment, which is very close to the clinic, for a light breakfast and some additional coffee. We then headed to the Meijer’s store in Hartland, to pick up a few additional food items for me, as Linda will be in Ann Arbor for a week providing child supervision and entertainment for our two younger grand-daughters. The Brighton Meijer’s is undergoing extensive renovation, with lots of large semi-trailers in the parking lot. The Hartland location avoided that, and got us away from the major infrastructure working taking place along Grand River Avenue.
Linda set up a ZOOM call with Nancy (& Paul)for this evening at 5 PM EDT. We each worked at our desks for part of the afternoon, had our ZOOM call (which we always enjoy), and then had dinner.
Tonight was also a “Strawberry Moon.” I had not heard of this before, so if I ever saw one, I wasn’t aware it. It’s a rising of the full moon at its closest point of approach to the earth. When visible (with clear weather), it is the largest it ever appears and is very red. But it also coincides with the time of year when strawberries get harvested in the northern hemisphere. Moonrise was late this evening, and we did have some clouds on the horizon, so we did not get to see the full effect of this phenomenon. I am aware of, but not particularly bothered by, the fact that our opportunities to witness such things diminishes with each passing year. It’s enough to know that these things happen with or without me as a witness.
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