When Plan A doesn't work, you still have 25 more letters

So this weekend I found myself doing something that even six months ago I could never have imagined.  Paying somebody else to ride my horse.  I'm used to being on the other side of that coin ;)  But having come to the realization that it could be months before I can ride again, I've sent Lexi off for training board till Dec.  At which point I'll either sell her, or be able to ride again :)

After dropping Lexi off though, had one of the few really nice days of the summer.  We were about half way to Collingwood, so Chris and I went the rest of the way there to pick up some more coffee (Ashanti Coffee -- my friend David owns it; they grow the coffee on their farm in Zimbabwe and then ship it here to sell.  Very cool.)   Anyways -- while there, Chris spotted a pizza restaurant across the street that looked pretty good, so we headed over for lunch.   Detoured slightly when he discovered craft beer next door ;)   But after a quick purchase, we were back at the pizza place.  The "Gotta Eat Here" sticker outside also led to high hopes.  Went in and were seated.  The menu was painted on the table, which sort of amused me.  We read it and made our choices.  And then we waited.  And waited. And waited.

And eventually gave up and left.  Even took our time getting up and gathering stuff to go, but still nobody so much as said a word.  Awesome.

Back across the street, considering sandwiches from the coffee shop (which I'd already pegged their pumpkin pie for desert) when I noticed The Smoke restaurant next door.  Turned out to be another "Gotta Eat Here" -- this one BBQ style.  They sat us and the waitress - who was very cool - was over quickly.  Definite progress.  The menu was all kinds of yummy.  And the beer -- well it was giant sized ;)   Despite being nowhere near a normal meal time, the place was packed.  And we quickly discovered why.  So. Much. Tasty. Food.  And, to be honest, way more appealing menu than the pizza selection across the street.  Sometimes Plan B works out :)

Sheer quantity has to count for something

Sadly by the end, we no longer had room for the pumpkin pie I was craving, so we took our cameras and went for a photo walk instead :)

In another couple weeks the leaves will be stunning

Was fairly entertaining, although closer to fall weather than summer!  Eventually we decided the pumpkin pie could be to go (it was delicious when we finally had it the next day :).

We were watching this storm roll in

On the drive home we played tourist and stopped at this random store that I've driven by often, but always with a horse trailer.  It was a typical knick-nack store, probably not really worth stopping, but it still amused me to poke around :)

Inside was everything you'd expect :)

Overall such a nice random day.  All the surgeries and such have pretty well toasted the summer, so was really nice to get one in.  Even if technically I was supposed to be lying on my left side all day *sigh*  Ah well, one doctor said Friday, the other said Monday.  I figure we split the difference ;)

As for said surgeries -- the last one went well (apparently).  They put a belt on my eye (I'm not even kidding) that should help keep it in one piece.  Unfortunately it means the lens from the earlier cataract surgery won't be correct.  I'm a little bitter about that -- wish they'd waited till after all the retina stuff to do that.  Also, the oil they put in this time is heavier; it's supposed to act as a cast.  Evidently it has to stay in for 6-12 months!  Which means blurry vision till after that :(

But hey -- still better than the zero vision I'd have had without said surgery.   Working from home pt this week and then back in the office next week.   Fewer headaches this time around and no nausea.  Wicked muscle cramps (esp shoulders) from lying in one position all week.  I have a new respect for couch potatoes!  But otherwise should be good to go by Monday.

Insert foul language here

Every friggin long weekend this summer I've spent having or recovering from surgery.  Yes including the September one.  I am not even kidding.   I need a new hobby.

My eye had gotten to the point where I was slowly starting to get vision back -- the gas bubble was shrinking and I could see over the top of it.  Pretty excited about it and feeling well.  We'd had a family bbq and were planning a house is finished celebration (poutine bar!) for the long weekend.  And then all of a sudden, a grey cloud overtook my vision.  I got a wicked pit in my stomach and just wanted to cry.  All my vision was gone.  Again.  Grey rather than black, so part of me hoped maybe that'd be something else.  Part of me is an optimistic idiot.  Back to the clinic -- of course my surgeon is away.  Cause, well that's the way my luck goes.  Fortunately for me his awesome admin decided it was serious and fast-forwarded me through the line to see another doctor.  First doctor said she thought I had fluid in my eye and would need surgery.  Specialist confirmed -- fluid in eye due to another tear in the retina beside some scar tissue AND a new hole just for creativity's sake.  Awesome.  She said I'd need surgery within the week, but they didn't want to admit me like before because the OR was so backlogged people who they'd admitted were waiting for days, so better to schedule a time next week.   Sure - why not?  At least I'd be able to go back to work and organize things over a couple days.

Right, about that.  The fellow came in to look and promptly vetoed that.  Need surgery, will do it scheduled but scheduled for Friday (it was Wednesday afternoon at this point).  Oh, but no going back to work -- have to lie face down till the surgery to help avoid it being any worse.  Awesome.   This was not news I was happy with.  And then it was followed up with more -- they were going to put a belt in my eye, which would change the shape of it.  This should help keep it from re-detaching, BUT it will also make my snazzy new lens that I was so excited to be able to see out of, unlikely to work.  Fail.   Am incredibly disappointed at that.

So Thursday was all kinds of miserable, not gonna lie.  Friday went in for surgery.  Amazing waiting room -- all kinds of impressive.  Had a library and everything.  Admittedly more useful for Chris than me, but I was still amused.  Chris' description of the decor being a cross between his grandmother and Napoleon seemed about right.  You can picture it now, can't you?

Just a small example of the decor

Spoke to both the nurse and the anesthesiologist about my previous, less-than-pleasant, experiences.  So this anesthesiologist said she'd give me three anti-nausea drugs and would not use morphine as that can sometimes trigger nausea.  And, well, third time's the charm.  I was awake, or partially awake anyways, throughout the surgery.  Phasing in and out and able to answer questions.  I was in no pain (huge improvement over last time)!   And while hearing a saw start up when they're operating on your eye is a little creepy to say the least, overall it was a non-issue.  I've also learned to identify the sounds when they're using the lasers.  This is knowledge I would've been quite content living my life without.  Sheesh.

When I got up, first thing they did was give me more nausea drugs.  And the world was good.  My eye was sore, unsurprisingly, but there was none of the misery of last time.  Told they put oil in and the belt on.  Big boo on that :(   Oil means there'll be at least one more surgery.  I'm not really okay with that idea.  Both because I'm very tired of this game and because I'd really like to be able to be back at work.  I finally had things caught up and back under control after the last round and now this?  So not impressed.   They're being super supportive -- I just don't have the patience to be *that* person.   And the belt -- well that means no good vision for me :(   Ever.

So yeah, I was fairly disappointed at that news.  Follow up appointment on Saturday was a waste of time.  The doctor we met with was filling in (apparently the one we should've seen had an emergency - fair enough), and he had absolutely no background of the surgery at all and was asking questions of us he should've been the one answering.  He certainly wasn't able to answer any of ours.  Also slightly terrifying that he kept asking me to look right when I was -- obviously my eye was not responding the way it should.  Other doctors so far have been better at hiding that knowledge from me.  Very disconcerting.   And I've yet to meet the surgeon who actually did the surgery -- either before or after.

I have an appointment scheduled on Friday with the surgeon who did the second surgery -- I'm hoping to keep it and get him to look, cause of all of them I liked him best.   Now I have to go back to lying down -- have to stay on my left side for a week.  This sounds like it'd be a dream - forced vacation woohoo!   Except in very little time everything starts to hurt - shoulder, ear, and hip being the worst quickly followed by back...  I don't know how couch potatoes do it!  So frustrating.  Plus side, I'm not feeling horrible this time. Down side, that makes lying still endlessly more of a challenge.  Esp as I have very little faith in the doctor that gave us that information.

So as far as Google tells me, I've now had *all* the retinal surgery options out there -- some more than once.  I think, having had the complete experience, I'd like to consider this done now and move on with something else to blog about.  House hunting would be good -- somebody could just come buy our house and then that'd be a fun thing to blog about.

Speaking of -- we fired our real estate agent.  That story's not being posted, but is available upon request ;)   Agent we have now (and our buyer agent) both seem excellent.  So that's a relief.

And back to lying down I go.  Hope you're enjoying the last few moments of summer!