Vena McGrath, click
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Blogs by Vena McGrath
Friday 2 February 2007 ... 9.34 pm Sydney Australia 2/2/2007 2:19:30 AM
Summer kicks along with humidity, low rainfall (if any) and front yards that once were lush with green grass now looking a bit on the brown side. I just returned from having dinner with my son at a Chinese Restaurant we have been visiting infrequently for about 16 years. We used to call it the red carpet restaurant because it's above a shop and had red carpeted stairs up to the restaurant. They have had the stairs redone and spoilt the effect by not using red, however the food is still great and there's always somewhere to sit; in fact there's lots of places to sit. Seems such a shame that it's not crowded out, but then again, it's great when you don't want to be with a crowd, when you don't want to have to wait for a table, and when you want to eat and get out fast.
My mother loved going there but the steps became too much for her. My granddaughter has always loved going there too ever since she was a tot. My mum would shout us all out to dinner and the little one would go along too. Nice memories of things that were taken too much for granted and not given the appreciation they deserved.
Shame how hindsight comes too late and often involves memories of those that have passed on that you can't go and say to them 'thank you for all those things you did, even little ones, that I was too busy or too unfeeling to appreciate'. Ah well, I'm a great believer in spirits and I'm sure my mum is around me and knows now what she probably didn't khow when she was alive. I do care, and I did care and she knows why I didn't show it.
Enough of the past. This is today, the moment, and maybe all we have. I have been suffering for a few months now with my keratitis attacks and today I had a routine visit to the eye specialist for a glaucoma checkup, and yep, he found what I thought he would .... 2 ulcers in the cornea. He said 'you have 2 ulcers, in fact you have 2 BIG ulcers'. So I went to work to do some things that I needed to get done, with my certificate in hand saying that I was not fit to work from today until Monday week. Bummer! I have so much to do at work and can't afford the week off, and yet I have been in so much pain that I'm only performing at about quarter pace during some hours of every day.
I worked for 4 hours and did what was worrying me, then left to go home and pick up my medication and get a patch on my eye. I have to wear the patch now for a week so there won't be that much I can do next week at home as the vision in my right eye is limited and reading, as an example, is out. I am lucky that I touch type and having the text on the screen makes it possible for me to read it through a bit of clutter.
My son was okay about taking the pirate lady out to dinner. I took the patch off when I put some makeup on, but by the time we were ready to go out, my eye was protesting and I had to put the patch back on. I have huge problems with light and air conditioning when the eye has been split open and the ulcers have taken root. I can't drive with safety one-eyed anymore due to the glaucoma that has damaged the top half of my right eye. Years ago I could keep working with a patch on as my right eye was strong and I could drive safely. Those days are gone so I have no choice but to stay at home and rest.
I said to the boss that I would see how I was next week and I might go back to work. He emphatically told me not to go back as I have a doctor's certificate stating I am not fit to work. So, rest it will be and about all I can do is watch TV on the big screen.
I've just about worn out my clear vision for this evening so must get away from the screen for the night.
