CATARACTS!

Holy Bajolllllbie!! I went to the eye doctor yesterday to get an eye check up. I'd been having a lot of conrast in my vision as well as a kind of blind spot effect. The wierd thing was that the blind spot didn't seem to stay in one place, so I wasn't that certain that there was one. (Does that make sense?) In anycase the doc took a look at me yesterday and announced that I have cataracts in both eyes and they will have to operate. On two separate occasions. They like to give one eye time to heal up before going in for the other. Here we go again!! ;-) I know that the surgery itself should be fine--they usually make sure that you are pretty darn sedated....it's just the thinking about it that gives me the willies.

He says that afterwards, my vision may be better than before the cataracts, but I'll probably need bifocals. He offered to change my vision from near sighted to far sighted, but I declined and instead asked for x-ray vision...no dice. Can I at least stream the internet in there?

Vacation

Last week Ralph and i spent some time in New England again. (I apologize to all those that we didn't get to see this time!!!) The vast majority of the time we were up on Welch Island again. It was a bit nippy, but beautiful as always. Here's an image of the view from the deck. AAaaah. :-)

I came back to Pittsburgh to find a new medication piled onto my current load. I started taking it yesterday, and it has already left me a bit loopy and droopy. They say that part of the side effects should go away within 1-3 weeks as my body gets used to it...I certainly hope so!!
There's more to update you on, but I'm seriously having to concentrate too hard to post this part already, so I'll have to post the rest a bit later!

Finally added...

So, I finally got a few of those watercolor flower pieces done and put them up on my painting website! Check 'em out and let me know what you think!

Oh SO gratifying...

About a month ago, it occurred to me to apply for a handicapped parking pass for my car. With the difficulty that I have to just get to the store, it's been hell to find out that I then have to treck across the parking lot. It turns out that I qualified for it on a few counts, but the winning reason they gave me the pass was the fact that I'm on oxygen (portable, liquid oxygen) when out and about. You'd think, then, that the parking enforcement troops would know this is one of the reasons for a handicapped pass....however...

Tonight, I got to use the pass for the first time. Ralph and I headed over to Shadyside (a little shopping neighborhood of Pittsburgh) to pick up a gift for a friend and get some dinner. We had just put the pass on the mirror (it's a plastic pass like a pass for a parking garage) and gotten out of the car when a meter maid was approaching. As I'm puffing away on my portable oxygen container, she says, "Uh, you're going to have to move your vehicle."
"Why?" I asked.
And she said, "Well, because it's in a handicapped spot and your not."
"Ha! Who are YOU kidding? I AM handicapped. I have the pass on the car."
"Oh! Yeah, I didn't see that before."
"Uh-huh."

Boy, did that feel good. Back off SISTA--I'm entitled to a little nice treatment, even if it is only in the form of a closer parking spot.

GOOD NEWS!

Today I got the official word from Lister (my oncologist) that I am in remission. This time period is currently the longest stretch of time when I have not had cancer since first being diagnosed 5 years ago. (Each time it came back within 1 year of being treated--currently it's been 1.5 years since my last occurrence!)
Knock on wood everyone!
Thank you for your prayers!

Flower power

Since I was in the hospital in June, I've been a little more cautious in regards to getting back in front of the easel. Even though we've determined that it's not the paints causing the breathing problems, I haven't wanted to push the issue until I felt that my lungs were cleared up of the infection (at least a bit) and the weather was a bit cooler to allow the windows open while painting. Instead, I've taken to watercolors (an even LESS offensive medium to my lungs). I've had to relearn a bunch of the techniques and methods that I haven't used since I learned it back in highschool.

I've been exploring the idea of symmetry in nature and mixing that with some of the characteristics of watercolor. I haven't put them up on my painting website yet, because I'd like to have a few more done before I add them. However, here I'll post a sneak view...this one is my favorite so far! :-)

Something I love about Pittsburgh...

...the thunderstorms!! We never got that many up in NH, and I remember being surprised at the frequency of them here. They are so much fun, and it's so nice to fall asleep at night to the sound of rain on the window sill.