This morning I had two mails asking how the lens replacement went. I had let Bill know privately, but did not post because the latest news was disappointing. The good news is that I have NOT also developed macular degeneration, but the final conclusion is that the advanced glaucoma surgical bleb is so huge and active, and my retina has so many folds and ripples from the eye pressure going too low for too long that taken together there would likely be very little improvement from correcting the cataract which also was caused by the low pressure from the post-surgical stitch removal going wrong. With either alone the situation could be better, but... Because of the bleb I can not have the laser approach for cataracts. So, I am progressively losing more vision in that eye in real time, but now that the cataract is larger glare, while still painful, no longer feels like getting needles stuck in my eye, a sensation with which I am too familiar now both from glare and needles. Eventually this lens surgery might be done, but I have been advised that the best thing now is to make adjustments by living with it, so I have multiple types of very useful fit overs from Noir, have a range of task lights with Mighty Bright which has a good magnifier and a multi settings task light being especially good so I have two of those, two clip on lights, a headlamp (and would appreciate recommendations on other headlamps) and have a load of handy flashlights so that I can see inside places like cabinets and closets. I have visors and a few asymmetric floppy hats for my big (swollen?) head (LOL!) and plan to add more, have big eye patches for when it needs full blackout covering at places like the dental office, and plan to add a few fancy semi conical under eyeglass patches for when the eye is exhausted. We changed things so that my standing desk is chest high which is greatly useful. At times I have the computer read to me instead of reading with my eyes. Mostly, we have been making things more organized, changing how lighting is done, learning tricks like Steve helping me cross too busy sections of a few parking lots, walking with my bad side toward the tables when checking veg tables at Trader Joe's and Kings and Bardy Farms to avoid colliding with people, teaching friends that I absolutely can not jay walk so they should avoid it or we will be separated, walking w a trusted person on my bad side in crowds, etc. Eventually, my behavioral techniques and distance and speed assessments of situations for things like streets, parking lots, and crowds should improve with practice. Oh, I do many of my exercises w my eyes closed now for resting both and for balance work. I use sipping water infused with a lot of fresh ginger that has been frozen to break cells to reduce the nausea and dizziness caused by very mismatched eyes, but luckily my brain is beginning to mostly just ignore input from the very bad eye and that change is really improving my quality of life. Also, I am getting more used to the background pain from the eye, though not yet used to how it worsens with allergies and colds. So, that is why I am online so much less, why I encourage people to now look up their own info usually, and why long posts from me have been so rare. I will actually have to rest the eye after writing this. Meanwhile, the ferrets are so much more careful that it is amazing, especially the older two. They also know the word "ouchie" and if anyone asks where mommy ouchie is they will bump close to the bleb location that is under my lid, so even a half year later it must smell different. Certainly, there is still localized inflammation that happens there and resultant eye gunk and I think ferrets smell inflammation like dogs do. [Posted in FML 7940]