and we can put paid to 2020. What a year it’s been.

There’s not been much progress on any of my projects this year, but the month of December has been, quite likely, my best month overall.

For several years, I’ve been arguing with the Veteran’s Administration Health Care over my failing eyesight. This past summer, the Ophthalmology department finally agreed that my cataracts were of sufficient degree to merit their removal.  I’ve now had them removed from both eyes, and what a difference it has made.

I’ve been extremely nearsighted (myopic) since early childhood, and in order for me to read anything over the past couple of years, I’ve either had to magnify it up 500% or hold it an inch or two from my face in order to read anything. I’ve had to stop driving, first, at night some eyars ago, then in rain, and finally at all. Following the first surgery, in the first week of December, I was astounded by the difference. The lens implant basically removed my near vision entirely, but I can now read things on the television from across the room, without magnification – or glasses. Two weeks later, the second surgery took place, with similar results.

Today was my two week follow-up for the second surgery. Everything is healing properly, and on initial exam with the diopters, can easily be corrected to 20/20. Considering that my previous glasses prescrioption only bright things to 20/25, I am more than a little pleased. I’ll have another exam towards the end of January, at which time a new glasses prescription will be written. I expect that the new lenses will cost considerably less than the $300 I’ve been spending the past seveal years.

Last Friday, I received a call wanting to schedule me for the Bariatric procedure that has been on hold since this summer’s COVID spike in Washington. That’s currently slated for December 31, but thanks to those inconsiderate people who think it’s all about themselveds, and no one else matters, the hospital may restrict surgeries this week as they re running out of beds in Kind County, Washington. When I spoke with the surgeon today, he said that while they ahve had to reduce their typical number of surgeries to three, he hopes that further reductions will not be needed, at least this week, and that as far as he was concerned, everything is still a “go”.

We’ll see.