Nine Days Post-Surgery and Back to School

I'm very happy to report that my mother's doing well after her cataract surgery and there don't appear to be any issues with healing. We have the critical first week behind us. We are finished with the antibiotic eye drops and will be using the steroid drop for the remainder of the month post-op. It's still four times a day, but without the additional 20-minute wait between the two kinds of drops. I contacted the doctor's office to explain my concern about my mother rubbing her eyes, and was told by the receptionist that the eye should be well healed after the first week (because she had the foldable lens implant which requires a smaller incision with no stitches), and so Mom's patch can come off permanently.

She has finally noticed the improvement and is thinking she would like to have her other eye done after all. It will mean a repeat of the drops and patch but it will be worth it. She seems much more cheerful and can see things she hasn't seen in a long time. For example, she used to forget to water her plants because she couldn't see they were in trouble. I'm looking forward to seeing what other improvements the surgery brings to her.

Her memory is not any better, but then I didn't expect it to be. But I'm so glad she's had this done.

There was a bit of a bump one day when I arrived to do her eye drops and found her chopping away with her snow shovel at a semi-frozen pile of old snow in her yard. She was not supposed to be doing anything to put pressure on her eye, such as lifting or heavy housework, and we had talked about that a number of times. She probably forgot those conversations but when I reminded her that what she was doing could be harmful to her eye, she became very huffy and wanted to know where I got that information. When I said it was in the instructions she had been given after surgery, she switched arguments and said she didn't see how it could hurt, and what did I suggest she do, stay inside all day forever? 

Have I mentioned how feisty my mother is? Perhaps contrary is the word I have used. They both apply.

Anyhow, after a couple of uncomfortably icy visits which I had to make due to the eye drop schedule, she forgot about it and things are fine again.

Once again, I learned something.

To protect my own sanity and my heart, I need to try not to get lulled into thinking that just because she's been in a good mood for a few days she won't get mad at me if I cross her in any way. Her determination to do whatever she wants and to justify doing it regardless of the impact on herself and others is not new to her dementia. But it's trickier now because I can't just step back from her the way I could before. So I am moving ahead with the intent to take the easy days as they come, to be unsurprised by the bad days, and just keep plodding ahead.

Hah. We'll see how that works out :)

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So, my people, I want to ask you a question.

Just like in English class in school, when the teacher would give you a quote and ask you to write what you think about it, I'm going to do the same.

The quote is:

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."

(Quote by Amy Carmichael)

 

What do you think? I'm interested because I can't seem to figure out if I agree with it or not.

 

Please Note: Unlike school, your participation is completely optional 😀

 

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Meanwhile, a few funnies to carry us through at least the time it takes to read them, I hope:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note from Donkey: I have actually done this. More than once. What can I say. I guess I had it coming too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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That's it for today. Hope you're having a good one.