Friday, July 15, 2016

Back on the Horse

It was not a perfect performance by me. I made a few mistakes and did not at all feel that comfortable. I felt as if I were forcing everything although it is not that obvious that this was occurring. I appear for the most part relaxed, but I was not. I don't come out of traumatic experiences well and this was typical. Most people would wonder what I was was talking about after all I can now see with 20-30 vision in both eyes and have no residual effects so far. Nonetheless, the entire experience was quite unnerving for me and I am happy cataract surgery is behind me.

The show this evening had three parts. There was the summary of what we did on our last trip, what were highlights, and basically discusses why we love Italy so much. I also talk about our wonderful friends. In the second part I talk about all the things I discovered in Florence that were new and different from any of my previous 22 times there. Finally I do the "bridge show" focusing on several throughout Italy but primarily Florence and Venice. The enjoyed the first two parts much more than the third, although I must say that by then I was rather tired and eager to get home. As I said I made a few slight error, like calling Laura Lidia, mispronouncing several Italian words, and once again getting mixed up between east and west on the Arno River in Florence. Most people would probably like the show at least that is really what I hope. The original show # 123 has been deleted from Youtube since it was not what I wanted so if you saw that one five weeks ago then try this one also.

I look forward to creating more shows and have many ideas as I already indicated. Ric Hirst has consented to join me on August 26 for a discussion about why he loves Italy and indeed bought a house there spending 5 months a year until recently.

Monday, July 11, 2016

And Now.......Alan's Italy

Well cataract surgery now, hopefully, behind me, I will try very hard to produce my first show in several weeks. I will ask Ellen to test the studio equipment before I get there and let me know if it is not working. No telling how many more problems and cancellations I can deal with. The show will be a rebroadcast of # 123, the one I already did but took off the internet because I didn't like it. Then I must get back to the drawing board, but I have a tentative idea of what the next few shows will be.

Show # 124 - Return to Civita di Bagnoregio featuring a very close look at this extraordinary hill town in Alto Lazio.

Show # 125 - Franco Sala's Trattoria Antica Forno in Civita di Bagnoregio

Show # 126 - Siena and the Hotel Palazzo Ravizza

Show # 127 - Volterra, A Day out With Lidia, Part 1

Show # 128 - Monteriggioni, A Day out With Lidia, Part 2

Show # 129 - San Quirico d'Orcia, A Day out With Luca and Greta

Show # 130 - San Donato with Lidia, Sabrina, Giulio, and Simone

Show # 130 - Panoramic Views of Italy

Show # 131 - A Stroll Around Florence

The Rest TBA.....

Cataracts, Anxiety, and Different Strokes for Different Folks

So I went for my second cataract surgery on June 28 doing the prep with drops of three different kinds, and gearing myself for the final chapter. Ten minutes from being wheeled in to the operating room, my doctor came out (at the apparent urging of my nurse), and told me I had an infection in my eye about to be worked on and I would have to postpone the procedure. I became very upset and went home now trying to put a new prescription of drops intended to clear up the problem. On I went with the strange interim period with one farsighted eye and one nearsighted.

Eight days later my doctor told me that the infected eye was improved and he would schedule me for two days hence, Fri, July 8. Again I did the prep drops, but this time had to go to a different location for the surgery. Again I was prepped for surgery with drops for numbing and pupil dilation. I even started on the sedation drip I requested for the procedure. This time I was wheeled in the operating room, surrounded by doctors and nurses who began to set me up for the eye surgery. Suddenly my doctor realized that there was a mistake and that the special lens he would implant was probably at the other location (where I should have had the second surgery on June 28). Someone would have to get the lens and meanwhile out I went back to the holding room where I waited about an hour and a half. Once again I was wheeled into the operating room and the same scenario. Finally my doctor did the procedure. As with the first one, I was aware of everything that was happening since the patient must be awake enough so that they could respond to directions from the doctor (look left, look up, etc). Although I was thoroughly sedated, I was nonetheless anxious and apprehensive. Finally back to the recovery area where I celebrated by having my first buttered corn muffin in 25 years with the best tasting apple juice I ever had.

I am now almost a month removed from the first surgery. My vision without glasses and long-distance is stunningly amazing!!!! My second eye, however, has not made the immediate progress I did back on June 14 with the first eye. Although my vision in the second eye would probably be categorized as excellent, there is a mild blurriness. Since when I came home after the second surgery my vision was so blurry I could hardly see, the blurriness is most likely about 80 % better. My doctor assures me it will get better yet. I visit with him on Wednesday. I now do not wear glasses for long distance, but drug store reading glasses, 2.75, for close up seeing, computer work, and sometimes dining in low light places. Eventually I will get progressive (bifocal) lenses, but haven't yet decided whether to wear them or to just keep using a separate pair of readers. After 63 years of wearing glasses, this is amazing to not have to wear glasses for most situations beyond about 5 or so feet away. My pupils are still dilated in the recent surgical eye after over 72 hours, but I believe that is normal.

Next time I have any kind of surgery, I will speak with nobody about their experience. I learned the hard way that everybody has a different experience. Some comments varied from, "oh, it's a piece of cake having cataract surgery," to "gee, I don't remember," to other reassuring comments. It is possible that people were protecting me from possible apprehension. Nonetheless, my experience was spoken of by no one not even including the infection on the 28th and the missing lens on the 8th. I do not think it was a "piece of cake," nor is this a trivial experience - at least not for me.