Walking with a new vision...

....can reveal so much. Glasses slipped down on my nose for nearly four decades and from my very first to the very last pair of glasses owned, they have always been progressive, meaning the glass will turn dark when I am outside, and when I enter a dark interior the glass turns clear automatically. I couldn't understand why people would have a clear set and a dark set, switching from one to another when in- or outdoors. Why trouble yourself when you have have one set capable of both uses?

With camera in hand, I stepped outside today for the first time in my adult life without glasses upon the bridge of my nose, and was promptly blinded by the brightness of it all. How can people tolerate this on a daily basis? WoW! I now understand the following:
1. Having glasses serves several purposes:
a: Protective
b: Sunglasses
c: Something to do with your fingers on a hot day



Whatever will I do now with my bored fingers on a hot simmering day and there aren't any glasses to push back up? Oh, the misery!

I spent some time at the Marina where there was a festival of family kite-flying, and enjoyed the bright colored-kites but didn't appreciate the strong breeze blowing through the Golden Gate. Another use of those old glasses: a wind-block! Now I have to tolerate air blowing directly into my eyes, and it wasn't pleasant!

During this time of discovery, I stopped here and there to snap a few pictures... adjusting the camera viewfinder diopter now, a few minutes later, and again... and again. I found sometimes my left eye would see sharply, then not. Another time not, then later yes; sharply. It's a progression and I am happy I use auto-focus!

But it was something new.... though many take it very for granted to be able to walk outside with or without glasses, this is the first time since my teen-years that I've stepped outdoors without anything sliding down my nose. It's amazing the things we grow accustomed to, and how we tolerate it and even make it a necessary evil and a routine... a habit of our individual lives.

I am glad I am able to put aside finally one small but important detail of my life, and though I haven't yet purchased those reading glasses, I still am very grateful for the vision I have, and now enjoy the liberty of a vision free of other items... hanging around my neck, hanging off my nose, or something I need to remember to take with me in order to see.

It's a great sensation and very liberating!

Fourth day after eye surgery

Well, yesterday ~ not feeling safe enough to drive alone in my car ~ I rode as a passenger in a car. It's strange when you are always driving in your own vehicle, to be sitting elsewhere in a vehicle. It's a strange sensation and while it's nice to see everything pass by and to enjoy the sights, it's still an odd state of being. In this case, it was even more special as my new eyes were being tested minute-by-minute, it seems. The previous day I couldn't focus on anything with my left eye and on this day I would take turns closing my right, then my left eye and each eye could focus.... I could actually see things with my left eye at mid-day and by day's end, it was amazing to see that it was seeing very well too. I know this is a slow process where each day will be a pleasant (I hope) surprise and have I said I love these types of surprises?

It's now Sunday and the fourth day after my surgery and my eyes are even better than yesterday. I think yesterday I pushed my vision a bit too much because by time I slept at past 11pm, my eyes were as bad as if I needed glasses again, and neither could focus on anything.

Now it's again a beautiful gray San Franciscan morning and my eyes are doing well. I'm still taking the eye drops and medicine as prescribed, and am confident my eyes will be a grand performance I will rejoice in during the coming days and weeks. The hint of the end results I am "seeing" and experiencing now, and I am more than happy at this progressing outcome. That it's a slow process only pleases me more as I would have died of shock with one day being blinder than a swinging bat and the next day seeing everything in its sharp wonderful beauty!

Thanks again to everyone for your support and emails; I did stay off the computer for almost two days after the surgery as I couldn't read and didn't feel like typing, but those days are over and long gone.

I cannot wait to use the camera again and start seeing with my eyes alone, and not having to clean my glasses after a few minutes!

Is it real or virtual (Eyes)

Well, it's done. I was there at 12,45pm in San Jose to get my eyes done. It consisted of more waiting than the actual operation required. My brother drove me to the center, killed time and came back to pick me up at 2pm. Starting out, I had to watch a DVD explaining the whole procedure, plus definitions of the various type of surgery of the eye. It also explained the risks of having such types of corrective vision procedures and how it might not work, and even in the most rarest cases, destroy your existing vision. I decided to go ahead and do it.

After some waiting, I was finally explained some procedures, and started waiting in a separate waiting room which quickly filled up. The came my turn.... I was first asked to take a small Valium pill and allow it to dissolve in my mouth under the tongue. I never realized how difficult it is to put anything, let alone a small pill, under the tongue! Then came some preparatory eye drops to numb the eye and others. After a few more minutes, I was escorted to a large FREEZING dark room where the procedure would be conducted. More eye drops then lie down. One eye covered while the right eye was prepped: marking of certain points of the eyes then laying down and being subject to a red and green light into the eyes. I guess that was the method in which my eye was to be reshaped, then the eye was rubbed then a slight sensation of scrapping. Not a bit of pain was felt throughout this whole procedure! Once that was completed, as the red light shined into the eye, I could smell the slight odor of burning flesh.... it didn't bother me; I have smelled worst in my life. Another slight movement on the eye surface and that was it. The application of a clear contact lens to protect the surgery then the same procedure was done on the other eye, with the doctor holding my head tightly.

I think the whole procedure took less than five minutes!

I walked out without assistance though was told many were a bit floozy after the procedure. I collected my things then went to meet with my brother who was kind enough to act as my taxi this day.

Enroute SF, bright scenes began to annoy my eyes, though shaded areas gave me relief. I just closed my eyes and kept blinking... Still a few hours later there is NO pain and I can see, though the general sensation is bothersome but not painful, and my vision is like I am wearing glasses that are very oily and smeared. I was surprised right off that I could make out words and freeway signs at several feet away that I wouldn't be able to see in other circumstances, and without glasses.

He had to pick up a computer at a MAC store, and after we arrived, I actually got on a few terminals and left my site of imagery on the screens. I had no problem then seeing the keyboards, the screen or anything. The only thing that bothered me was bright sunlight or points of reflecting light.

My first follow-up is on Friday, then the following Monday and I expect to be driving down to San Jose myself.

I'm happy with the results!!!!

DISCLAIMER: ANY TYPOS ARE DUE TO MY "POOR" VISION ONLY THREE AND A HALF HOUR AFTER THE SURGERY!

Note: I just looked through the viewfinder of my camera and can see adequately well!!! :-)

well, perhaps TWO firsts?

A friend in Eugene, Oregon emailed me about a site where images are being requested for possible inclusion in a nice photography book for the area where I lived for almost a year: Lane County.

I have a lot of images from that area so for the past day have been looking for images from that area; I'd love to have a few of my images in such a nice book about an area of the world that I have really grown to love and miss.

I've already sent out some SPAM emails to Eugene friends to vote for my images. Of course it's a system that requires members of the website to vote for those pictures they like best. The best and most-voted images gets into the book. Probably by next week I'll have all of the images that I want to be considered and voted on, uploaded by that time.

So if you're interested in helping to getting this photographer's stuff into a book, please go by the site and register. Once registered, just drop by my profile and click on the pictures displayed at the very bottom. You can click on each or any of the pictures shown and that opens up to its separate page. On that page, you can comment if you feel like it, then looking to the right margin, you can "love" the image, or (above right) you can "DIG IT"(green) or you can "NIX IT" (red).

Aside from my images, there are some incredible images there, including some of the Northern Lights with great detailed descriptions, and some great stargazing pictures!

On the other hand, I am now preparing to go under the "knife". Next Wednesday, I'll be driving to San Jose to get my eyes operated on, and hopefully I'll be able to begin seeing through the viewfinder of my camera without glasses.

Yes, I say "hopefully" because no matter how many people you might have heard of, or know those who have undergone this type of surgery... each case is unique and what happens is also unique to them. It's like ordering a cake. I might see the cake at a party, I will order them from a album of generic designs, but MY cake is unique and no matter how much people say and how many pictures I'll see, my handmade cake is mine alone, and it's uniquely mine!!

The prospect of seeing without glasses - due to my age I'll still have to use reading glasses for very close distances - will be an interesting experience. I've worn glasses since I was 15 or so, and can't remember too many days where I walked around without glasses and still see clearly.

like my newest bumper sticker?