I had great plans to write a LOT, if not every day, then as often as possible, this year. And I was doing pretty well, really, until all the health issues came crashing down on my head and took my hair with them. At this point, my hair is mostly hairspray and wishing. And if one more person starts to say something about how my hair looks just fine, I will punch them in the throat.
Today, I woke up at 6:30 am and couldn’t get back to sleep but since I had gotten up 4 times in the night to go to the bathroom and managed to fall back asleep after each of them, I counted it as a decent night’s sleep and got up. I met up with Debbie at 11:45 in Malmö (Camilla was supposed to come too, but…) for an art and handicrafts fair which was AWESOME. So many beautiful things, and I found a ton of stocking stuffers for Christmas (mostly for Martin and Karin, but even something for Theo and Essie, and one thing so far for Anders). I put everything in my big box o’presents in my closet and it’s nearly full so I need to go through and see what I still need, which probably isn’t much for the kids, at least.
The sun was out and so was the entire city, everyone in a good mood, and filling Lillatorget with energy. Debbie and I took about 2 hours to wander around, and then went and had lunch at Mando, which I am not sure I’ve ever been to before. It’s a restaurant that has been in place since 1966 and is famous for its planksteks (steak oven-baked on a wooden slab with (usually) duchesse potatoes, asparagus wrapped in bacon, a half tomato and bearnaise sauce). We didn’t have planksteks, but the food was delicious regardless. Debbie and I never lack for conversation subjects and we talked and laughed and ate and had a lovely time. Then we stopped at Espresso House and split a Pecan Dulce Crumb (which rhymes with yum so you know it’s good), and then we went in several art and stuff stores before finally heading back to the parking garage and home.
I’ve since vacuumed the house, done a load of laundry, read a great deal of my book, eaten dinner, edited a pile of photos, and started this post. Anything to distract myself from my stupid hair.
Anders gets home tomorrow from his 10-day hiking trip up in the north of Sweden. I’m picking him up at the train station in Lund at 11:40 unless he texts with any changes. They found out, after they got to Kiruna yesterday afternoon, that the trains from Kiruna to Stockholm weren’t running due to flooding, so they had to stay overnight in Kiruna and take a 21-hour bus ride today to Stockholm to catch their train to Lund…if everything works out. Fingers crossed, because I’m really wanting him to be home again.
I was at the eye doctor on Thursday for 2 hours. I saw a nurse first who measured the depth of both eyes with 5 blasts of super bright light to each one in turn. Then she put drops in to dilate my pupils and I had to sit and wait for quite awhile before I could “see” (haha) the doctor. I could actual read on my phone but the flourescent lighting in the waiting room was a real bother after a while. When I finally got in to see the doctor, she looked at my eyes through another machine, and then confirmed that I have the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes. She asked me if I wanted surgery (and the paper I’d had to fill out had had a question that read “Please check here if you are interested in cataract surgery), and I didn’t really know how to answer either the paper or her. I mean, yes, I want the surgery if it’s necessary, but no, I don’t really want to have surgery in my eyes with my EYES OPEN AND ME AWAKE. So “interested” is a bit weird, and “wanting” seems a bit premature.
She told me that I could wait if I wanted, that it wasn’t urgent, but after a little more discussion and thought, I finally figured what the hell, if it has to be done eventually, and it’s just going to get worse until I do it, then I might as well get it over with, right? All the shit in one year, healthwise, hopefully. So I have surgery for my right eye scheduled for November 5. Recovery seems to be between 1-2 weeks according to what I’ve read, and what my colleague (who has had it done in both eyes) and my sister-in-law (who has had one done so far) have told me. Then I’ll decide if I want to do the left eye before or after we go home for Christmas.
When I left the eye clinic, the sun was shining, which it had not been doing when I got there 2 hours earlier. I got in the car and started out of the parking lot, and immediately regretted it. Everything was SO BRIGHT! SO AWFULLY BRIGHT OH MY GOD. I made it home by dint of knowing the way literally blinded. Ergh.
So much for the sun today, it just started absolutely POURING rain. It’s bucketing down and I hear thunder and now I see lightning. Eek!
Mostly what I would like to do is stay curled up in bed with my books, until further notice or at least until my hair decides if it is ALL going to fall out or not. Is that too much to ask?
Mood: resigned
Music: Deco—Is It All In My Head?
Yeah, this might be a highlight to an awful year. It makes a difference (cataract surgery) and it’s not at all what you fear. You feel nothing, you don’t see a giant needle heading for your eye, etc., etc. 10 minutes and you’re waiting to go home. Good call I think. But I also think maybe burrowing down and reading is the best idea anyway.
That is actually a huge relief to read. I have to admit the thinking about a giant needle headed for my eye was freaking me out.