"Never fool with the eyes"

In a strange case of life imitating art (remember, seniors, The Lucid Eye in Silver Town?), my right eye, like the left one four years ago, succumbed to a potent combination of old age, myopia, and some bad genes, I think.

I'll spare you with the details, but I'll leave you with a link that explains the science of a retinal tear, interesting reading, I think, unless you happen to be the victim of a frightening phenomenon that effects roughly fifteen per cent of the population.

My doctor has prescribed two weeks of solid reclining rest. This means about ninety per cent of my day consists of "down time," no walking around, no looking down, no activity that would compromise the laser welds that now keep my retina properly attached to the back of my eye so that I can see. A retina that detaches from the eye literary floats in the eye ball, and unless reattached, blindness ensues.

Right now I can see fairly well, sharp enough to read the next to the final line on the eye chart (wearing my glasses, of course), but my field of vision is obstructed by items called "floaters," black strands and specks of blood that literary float in the liquid vitreous of my eye. If nothing else worsened with my eye, I could live a functioning life dealing with these nuisances.

However, the health danger that I might still have to face is the prospect of developing more retinal tears. For how long? Well, until the shrinking vitreous completely pulls away from the retina. Again, see this link if you really want to understand the process.

Four years ago my doctor lasered five retinal tears in my left eye. The retinal didn't detach, and my corrected vision is great. He took a digital internal picture of that eye's retina that I'll try to find to show you some day. You can see the circles of laser welds that surround the retinal tears. Very cool, but a bit unsettling if it's "your" eyes.

I'm in no physical pain, but I'm not very comfortable, either. I'm asking for your patience with the work I've assigned, work that's not very creative, I'm sure. But please bear with it, and with me, while I convalesce.

Please complete your assignments and do what you're asked. I'm so fortunate that Mrs. Eanes, Mr. Frankum, Ms. O'Keefe, Mr. DeGennaro, and Mrs. Reilly have pitched in to help out. You are fortunate, too.

For all of you who have sent their best wishes and prayers, I thank you. Hope to "see" you soon.