EYE, GOT AN EYE ON YOU

Cataracts, the bane of old people reared its ugly head once again!

TLW (The Little Woman) fortunately is running out of eyes, and both have had cataract surgery.

One year I was in Niagara, staying in a hotel for a meeting scheduled for a long weekend and got up early. Being I couldn't sleep and it being too early for breakfast, I decided to take a walk around the town and see some sights without the hindrance of traffic or people.

As I found my way around in the morning dew, I came to this nicely manicured walkway along a stone building and soon realized it was a Catholic church. Curious and because both my mother and TLW (The Little Woman) would put a wooden spoon to my head if I didn't know what church it was, I looked for a sign and found one. "Saint Mary of the Cataract," it said. I thought that perhaps the Catholic Church was exhausting ideas for names since I know they already used up "Our Lady of the Snow" and my idea: The Church of the Holy Mackerel would probably not be used. Why would you be using someone's eye issues and naming a church after it? How about St. Joseph of the High Blood Pressure or even Diabetes-2?

Years ago, such surgery was a big deal, causing a lot of discomfort for the patient and lingering recovery time, maybe a patch over the eye. Today, I had to bring TLW to surgery at 6:00 am, and by 8:30 am we were home again. This included a total hour of drive time to and from the surgery!

Modern surgery is something else!

Back in 2003, I had a cauterization that took a lot out of me, running a wire contraption into my arm and to my heart, I felt I was getting sick to my stomach and sweating in a room that was supposed to be cold. There was a pain as it was threaded into me and I watched it all on a monitor. Then this year I went back for a second one, this one I expected to feel the same way, I was not looking forward to it. Within 10-minutes it was over, and when it was, I was still waiting for it to begin. Amazing!

Well, TLW is now home, sitting in her chair and looking like the sun is in her eyes as she half squints her left eye. First I thought she was winking, then realized how dilated her eye was. But she will be able to see better.

So, if someone says they are having surgery, just tell them to: GET OVER IT!"