August 23, 2012

  • The Beast's Cataract Surgery

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    The Beast left out of here a little after 5am so he could be at the Eye Center in Huntsville by 6:30am.  The Princess drove him and waited for him to be sent home.  They were home before 10:30am but that was still a long morning.  He had a plastic dome patch over his eye.  I didn't remember having it on until I thought about it.  I had to use mine the first day and night but after that it was only at night to protect my eye while I slept.  That was for a week.  His instructions?  He has to wear it all day long, every day for a week.

    From what he told me, his surgery was more complex than mine.  At least, it took much longer.  Mine was over in 2-3 minutes.  His took over 15 minutes.  I told him his cataract must have been more serious than mine was, especially since I could see clearly the very first day.  His vision is lousy and not the least bit clear he says.  We have to be at the doctor's at 7:30am (means leaving at 6am...sigh) so we will find out what's going on then.  I'll definitely have to drive. 

    My carotid surgery is scheduled for Monday at our local hospital.  Well, we have two local ones but I chose the one where I had my leg surgery.  I'll only be in overnight in the ICU.  I'm glad it's that soon so I should be pretty well healed by my granddaughter's wedding.  I'd hate to have to wear a turtleneck in the summer heat.    Then...sigh...another appointment with the retina doctor just five days before her wedding.  But that, thankfully, will be to check on the eye he just did the laser surgery on and to see how much my vision has changed.  After that, it's probably a discussion on what can/should be done.  I told the Beast we are truly old when we have to keep consulting the calendar to be sure we don't have overlapping doctor's appointments.

    Chewlee was in a good mood when she got here today.  She spent some time with her mother after school got out then came to Grandma's.  She was a bit unhappy with me though.  I had gotten the new cabinet for my DVD's so I wanted to put it together.  The Beast happily got me his drill plus a hammer.  I say *happily* because HE didn't have to do it.  I don't usually let him anyway.  He screwed up my desk so badly that it took me an hour to undo and correct just the tray for it.  They don't read instructions well.  Hell, sometimes they don't read them at all!

    She wanted to play different things with me then copped an attitude when I told her no because I was busy.  She pouted and told me it wasn't fair.  She had no *best friend* to play with her here.  I stopped dead and asked her, *Oh?  Who plays picnic with you?  Who plays restaurant with you?  Who gets you food when you are hungry?  Who gives you milk when you want it?  Who makes you sweet tea?*  After each question, she said, *You.*  When I stopped, she whined..*But you won't play with me NOW!*  I'm sorry but that made me laugh.  I told her she had to help me put together the cabinet and she said, *But, I don't know how to build things!*  So I told her that she could watch and learn and help where she could.  And that's what she did.

    BUT...........

    As soon as she determined I was done, guess what she expected?  You got it!  We had to play either restaurant or *parent* (I become Mom and I drive her here and there) or store.  When we play store, she buys imaginary food or toys or clothes and I am the store owner.  Then she flips my role into her mother again and she tells me (and shows me) all she's bought.  I always have to wait for her to talk to find out what role I am in when we play that.

    She helped me put all the DVD's that had been on the floor into the cabinet then looked at it and said, *Grandma, we need more DVD's.*  ROFLMAO!!!!   When I move the DVD's off the shelves over the TV, it will look much more filled than it does right now.  It will allow me to put my CD's neatly on the shelves over the TV and it will look much neater.  Right now, they are piled up like you wouldn't believe.  It's a nightmare to try to locate anything.

    When the Princess got here, Chewlee and I were playing a hidden objects game.  She was allowing me a turn even.  Actually, she was tired and anxious to go home.  I thought she would want a bath but she told me no, she had already had one.  It wasn't until the Princess got here that I realized she hadn't.  The Princess basically was ticked off that SHE had to give her a bath.  All I could think was...shit, next time tell me you want me to give her one.  I'm not charging you for my services so don't get pissed at me!  It's different if I actually get paid and/or appreciated, don't you think?

    She does, once in a great while, buy me a bottle of Mudslide or vodka but that's not a weekly thing even.  Hell, it's not even a monthly thing unless I ASK.  That's the truth.  BUT....you have to understand this.....she is going to college to get her BA in math and her teaching certification.  That's tough to do when you have a kid and a household to help support.  She sure doesn't get anything from the biological father (but the paternal grandfather is good to Chewlee).  Taking care of Chewlee gives me a sense of helping her out.  I don't want to add to her burden.  It's my way of helping ease some of what could be a financial strain.  So there are different ways of looking at things.  At least I think she should appreciate the fact that I AM doing this to help out.  I love them both.  I know Chewlee loves me.  I'm just not sure about the Princess.

    Love you all.  Have a great weekend.